Chapter 10
Kari did not sleep that night, she tossed and turned throughout. Thor woke several times to feel her squirming in the bed next to him. "My love, are you unwell?"
"I cannot rest."
"I gathered." He replied wearily.
"I should just get up and do something for a while."
"It is the middle of the night." Thor sat up to look at his wife. "Kari, what is wrong?" The frown he long associated with her turmoil was back present on her face once more.
"I just cannot rest, I wish I knew why." It was true, she was tired, she wanted to sleep, she wanted to be ready for whatever the morning brought. No sooner had she got up and left the bed, she began to pace. "This is insane, I just wish to sleep." Thor went to get up. "Go back to sleep, no point in us both being up."
"If you cannot rest, how can you expect me to?"
"Because we are not both in need of remaining awake. Tomorrow is your first day as king, you need to be ready for it."
"As do you my queen." Thor countered. "You are required by my side, how can you do so if you are restless? Maybe it is the enormity of how our lives have changed that is the reason for your insomnia. Perhaps Eir was right with regards you not being with child now." Kari stared at him. "You being this stressed would not have been good for you."
Thor's words on becoming with child sent a shiver up Kari's spine, she did not wish to bring a child into this, and were she to become pregnant, would Loki stay? He had already stated the idea of that angered and repulsed him, Thor's child growing in her. "Perhaps." She looked down at the torn dress that she was still wearing. "It never stood a chance really." She smirked.
Thor chuckled. "My shirt is little better." He got out of the bed and walked over to her. "Kari." She looked up and was slightly shocked when he pressed his lips to hers, gently licking at them to allow him to deepen it. It felt wrong, but she knew she had to pretend to be pleased about it. "My beautiful Kari." His lips left hers and make their way down her neck. She was shocked that he would be acting in such a manner, having already taken her already once that night. "I'm sorry my love, but seeing you so stressed and in ragged clothes, I fear I cannot control myself." He explained as though sensing her bewilderment. He brought her back to bed, and did everything he could to ravish her. Soon he fell back to sleep, his arm draped over Kari, who simply stared at the ceiling more awake than ever.
Lifting his arm up gently, she slid out and went to the room she usually read in just off their bed chambers. She went to the window and lifted the cushioned part of the window seat. Underneath lay all of her art materials she had long left discarded, she reached for the plain wooden box and pulled it out, blowing the dust off it, and then she got some pages.
In the dim lit room, for the first time in over a century, Kari felt the urge to create something. When her and Thor's chamber staff entered the next morning, they were startled to see the new Queen and Allmother, sitting under the window, on her knees on the floor, in a torn dress that did not even cover her breasts any longer, her hair tossed and clumped together, and her skin marred in black smudges from her charcoals. They stood staring at her as she ignored them all, instead staring at the page in front of her.
Thor exited the bedchamber, having woken to no sign of his wife, the sheets and mattress telling him that her warmth had not graced them in some time. He looked at his staff, and then to what they were looking at. He too stared at Kari as she used her forearm to wipe away hair that was tickling her cheek, smudging more charcoal across it. Turning back to his staff, he realised some had noted that he too was wearing some of his attire from the night before, and it too was in a similar state to the queen's clothing. "Go about your chores." He ordered, with a nod, they obeyed. "Kari?"
"Just a minute."
"Kari, you're drawing."
"I don't know if it is called drawing exactly, more smudging." It was clear she was not paying full attention to him.
"More on yourself than the paper too I see." Thor smiled kindly looking at his wife. "Yggdrasil?" She nodded. "This is the first thing you have drawn that I have seen."
Kari froze. "I don't like people seeing my drawings."
"Why not? You are incredibly talented. Is this the first time you have drawn in a while?"
They both knew what he was avoiding saying; she had not drawn in the entire time of their marriage. Kari nodded. She looked up at Thor timidly. "I could not sleep, it just kept eating at me."
"What did?" He asked kindly, kneeling down to her.
"Just this itch I used get, when something came to me. It doesn't stop until I…"
"You have the urge to draw again?" Kari nodded. "This is wonderful my love, you should embrace it." He smiled widely.
Kari returned the gesture as best she could, wondering how he would take it when Loki arrived later, would her restlessness and her drawing draw suspicion on her knowing. She leant forward and kissed him, not wanting him to suspect anything. When she pulled back she giggled. "You have some, um…"
"If I am covered in charcoal, then it is only because you too are doused in it." Thor grinned.
Kari looked at her arms. "I have a tendency to get a bit over focused I'm afraid." She looked at her torn dress. "At least I do not need to worry of it ruining my dress."
"I think you being so covered in the blasted stuff is the only reason my servants have not seen you in all your beauty." Thor chuckled as Kari realised what that meant. "Yes, our staff have seen you as good as half naked."
"I never noticed." Thor chuckled again. "You should be angry."
He frowned. "Why ever so?"
"I am after exposing myself to the staff."
"Well I am sure your maids know what you look like naked, and my servants, well they have been with us for the past hundred years, I am certain in that time they may have caught glimpses of you accidentally, and if not, well now they know how beautiful you are." He smiled again. "You said yourself, you did not notice, you are not deliberately going around the palace stark naked trying to embarrass us. Besides, I am to blame for the dress."
"Why do you have to be like this?"
"Like what?"
"So kind, so understanding."
"I love you." He shrugged. Kari's stomach sank, Thor was making something difficult all the more so, and she hated how she was hurting him. "We best get dressed."
"I think you mean undressed, then dressed again."
"And you very much need a wash." Thor commented. "I mean with the charcoal and everything."
"Nice save. You need a wash also, but not because of the charcoal." Kari commented, making Thor chuckle.
"Come so, let us ready for our day, my queen."
Kari said nothing as they readied themselves for the day. Thor picked up her work of Yggdrasil and placed it on the table with the maps of the realms before he walked over to her, extending his arm so that they could walk down the hallways together.
Sitting to their breakfast, every last noise made Kari's eyes dart around the room. Thor and Odin were deep in talk of the first day that Thor would be sitting on the throne, dealing with the realm. Frigga looked at Kari, noting her anxiety. "You will do fine my dear." Kari looked up and gave a small smile. "You have not rested well have you?" Frigga looked at her pitifully.
"She has not slept at all." Thor informed his mother.
"I actually just have the urge to sketch. It somewhat takes over when I least expect it, so I just found myself doing that for the most part of the night." Kari explained.
"Well at least that is something constructive." Frigga smiled. "I can be the same when it comes to finding a way to get flowers from other realms to flourish here. It used drive Odin mad; me getting up at all hours reading another book on Midgardian climates."
"Why do you think I got my own sleeping quarters?" Her husband commented gruffly. "Although, you had the good grace to wait until after Thor was born."
Kari glared hatefully at her father-in-law. "Father, enough!" Thor stated firmly. "Kari is not long after celebrating her millennial names' day, for goodness sake there is plenty of time for such things in the future."
"She is queen now."
"Yes, and as I have stated to you, we will deal with the issue of an heir when we are ready." Thor thumped his fist on the table. "So when I say enough father, I mean enough." Odin glowered at Thor angrily, but thankfully said no more on the subject.
"I think we had best get a move to the throne room, this will be a long day I suspect." Frigga suggested, trying to break the awkward staring competition between her husband and son.
"Indeed." Odin conceded, rising from the table.
Thor rose next, helping his mother and wife out of their chairs. "Thank you." She mouthed to her husband.
"He had no right."
They said no more as they made their way to the throne room. There was a loud cheer from the people of Asgard as Thor sat on the throne. Kari stood to the side, looking calmly over the people of the realm, wondering to herself where Loki could be.
"People of Asgard." Thor beamed widely. "I guess we really should get on with what matters need to be addressed here today." And so he did. It was boring and mundane for the most part, but Thor and Kari had been prepared for that. Frigga remained standing by their sides to give her support as every last matter was dealt with, while Odin sat nearby listening to Thor's judgements critically.
"I think that is everything." Thor smiled as the last person was satisfied with the king's assistance. He turned to Frigga, Odin and Kari. "That was not a bad first day."
"Indeed, I have to say, you did a stupendous job. How much of the last century have you spent practising keeping you temper?" The royal family stared at the guard who walked forward so.
"How dare you speak in such a manner." Thor rose to his feet.
"Ah there it is." The guard smirked. "I thought you a changed man brother." Thor's face paled, Frigga gasped and Odin took a step back. With a flash of green, the guard altered to Loki's appearance "Miss me?" The smirk turned to a sly grin.