Author's Note: This is a continuation of my first Thor fanfic "Alliance". I highly suggest you read that prior to beginning this story.
Chapter 1: Communication
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." - Sir Walter Scott
•£• Loki •£•
Loki faced the messenger who stood before him. He had read the message, and listened to the man's statements. He allowed the silence to extend even longer than necessary. The young man shifted uncomfortably in front of the King of Asgard. Loki rather enjoyed seeing his discomfiture.
Finally he took a deep breath. "I will take your request into consideration. Unfortunately, I do not believe I can honor it at the moment. I require more information."
The man swallowed hard. He had not been offered any other alternative but to return to Cartherion with Katirya, or not return at all. "What additional information do you require, my lord?"
"Well, for one, Katirya states that she is the rightful ruler of Cartherion, yet your superiors say she is…" he glanced the message again, "ah, here it is. 'unstable and not to be trusted. The lady known as Katirya suffers from delusions and must be returned to us at once to be treated'."
"Yes, my lord. Since the tragic death of her mother, Katirya has been unable to face reality. She believes she is the queen of Cartherion." The messenger laughed, trying to encourage Loki to join in. When Loki did not respond in kind, his laughter began to falter. "Queen Kyrath is the true queen. She is Katirya's older sister and the rightful ruler."
"Then," Loki looked at the man, enjoying watching the man squirm, "who is the one who calls herself Queen Katirya who now rules Cartherion? Did her sister change her name? And, my information tells me Beythran is dead. Who poses as her mother?"
The messenger's face whitened, realizing that somehow, Loki clearly knew more about the situation than expected. "How did you…" realizing he had fallen into Loki's trap, he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to speak any further.
"How do I know?" Loki laughed. "I am Loki, King of Asgard. Of course I would know this you fool! Guards!" Four of the city guards responded. "Take this imbecile to the prison. I will deal with him later after I speak with Katirya."
The four guards quickly hustled the messenger out of the Loki's presence. Loki read the message once more before finally leaving to seek out Katirya. He first stopped in her chambers, where a servant directed him out to the gardens.
He enjoyed a pleasant walk in the morning light as he sought out Katirya. He reflected on the events of the past few weeks since they had returned from Earth with the scepter. Katirya's injuries had been worse than they had realized. She had barely survived the attack by Mythean. The healers had insisted on keeping her for a week before allowing her to leave their care, and had warned her to take it easy. She had been more than willing to accept their advice, and typically spent her afternoons in the gardens. He often found an excuse to join her, enjoying both her conversation and company as they wandered about the beautiful gardens of Asgard. Her mornings were spent on some mysterious project, which she refused to reveal to anyone; simply stating it was for Pepper Potts.
The thought of Ms. Potts reminded him he needed to speak to Thor about sending someone to bring Ms. Potts and Tony Stark back to Asgard. Tony had been fascinated with the many aspects of Asgard and had requested permission to return. A feast was planned for the following day and invitations to attend had been extended, offering an excellent opportunity for a return visit.
Hogun and Volstagg had accompanied Tony and Ms. Potts when they returned to Earth. Their report indicated that there was some damage to Stark's building, but it had been minimal. The aliens were not to be found anywhere. That bothered him, as Katirya had been insistent that they were after him and his brother.
Jane Foster had remained in Asgard for now, along with her friends Darcy, Ian and Erik. He was not entirely happy with that turn of events, but Thor had insisted. He admitted to himself that Jane and Erik were the reason behind his discomfort. Erik did not trust him and Jane… well; he wasn't quite sure what to make of Jane. Darcy and Ian had quickly adapted to life in Asgard, and could be seen interacting with the residents. Ian had actually taken to following the Warriors Three, often practicing with them. He was not a great warrior, but appeared to enjoy learning.
He finally discovered Katirya in one of the many herb gardens. She was chatting with one of the cooks. He listened to them for a few minutes as they discussed various herbs for the evening meal. He suddenly realized that the meals had improved since Katirya had been frequenting the gardens. The flavors were more reminiscent of when his mother was alive. He laughed softly to himself, clearly Katirya had taken a hand in the meal preparation.
"I think the roast sounds quite delicious," He let his presence be known by this statement. The cook, startled to see him in the garden, bobbed her head and then took off towards the kitchens.
Seeing Loki, Katirya smiled and brushed her hands lightly against her skirts. "Loki! What brings you out here so early in the day?"
"Well, Kiri, it would seem your return to Cartherion is requested, or more precisely, demanded."
"My return?" she looked at him, rather confused.
"Yes, a messenger arrived today. I have been informed that you are 'unstable and delusional'." He laughed lightly as he announced her problems.
He handed her the written message, which she quickly read.
Once he saw she had finished, he went on, "The messenger informed me that your sister Kyrath is the true Queen, although he seemed a bit surprised that I knew she was using your name."
"Kyrath? That is Mythean's wife. That explains much, but why would his family support her as queen? She was never known for her powers, more for her looks," Katirya mused.
"From what your brother has said, they simply replaced you with someone posing as you; in this case, it is your sister. Does she resemble you?"
"Not really. She is much taller than I am, and her hair is much lighter. I suppose anyone who did not truly know me would never know the difference."
Loki hesitated a moment before finally going on. "Do you recall our arrival back to Asgard? When your brother insisted you needed to return?" He saw her nod, and then drop her eyes to the ground. "I believe I said we would discuss some things. I think now is as good a time as any, don't you?"
Katirya bit her lower lip, keeping her eyes lowered. Finally, she sighed heavily and looked up at him. "I suppose so."
"Are you truly the queen of Cartherion?" Loki asked her bluntly.
She hesitated for several seconds before finally responding. "Technically, yes. In reality," she paused, and then finally spoke in a flat voice, "no. The Council refused to accept my claim. Its… rather complicated."
Loki laughed aloud at her admission. "Complicated? Really! I seem to think there is a lot more to this story than you have told us so far. But, before we continue this discussion, would you mind if I ask Thor to join us?"
"No, not at all. As I said when I first arrived, both you and your brother are part of this whole mess I have gotten myself into. Summon whomever you wish, and I will answer your questions. I suggest you include my brother Mica as well. He can provide more information in regards to the current situation in Cartherion than I am able to."