Hi everyone! Sorry about the long wait. I had a lot to fix and rewrite due to my loss of data. I've had to rewrite the entire plot line, though it's not exactly the same as before, but everything should turn out alright. It should be rather smooth from here on out. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. Thanks for sticking around. :)

Chapter 9

Mischievous Solemnity

"Minds that are ill at ease are agitated by both hope and fear."

-Ovid

Freyja ushered Jane down the halls and away from the influx of gods coming for the Council Odin had called together for Thor, using a mild spell to turn their attention away from the mortal. With Asgard and the remaining Vanir at each other's throats over Sigyn's murder, the last thing needed was the arrival of Thor's mortal bride-to-be.

"I can't believe this is where you live," she murmured, eyes wide as Freyja dragged her along.

"It is quite something, I suppose," she replied distractedly.

"But who was that woman? The woman in the hospital, I mean. Was she a friend?"

"No. She often attempted to drive Loki and I apart. Had she not been at odds with me, this mess may not have occurred. In the meantime, you must stay in Thor's chambers until he returns."

"I'll be alone in Thor's rooms?"

"For the time being," she conceded. "It should not last too long. Now that you reside here, Thor will make certain to not leave your side for long."

Opening the door to Thor's room, Freyja allowed Jane a moment to take in the lavish red, blue and silver room.

"This is Thor's room?" Jane asked, eyes darting across the place as if she couldn't examine enough at once.

"And now, yours as well," Freyja replied with a smile. "I hope you have no qualms with red and silver."

"I don't mind the color scheme, but the size…this room's bigger than my entire apartment."

"As princess of Asgard, soon to be queen, you'll find your new life to be…well, extravagant."

Jane laughed nervously, "You know, when I was little, I would dream about a prince coming to sweep me off my feet and take me to a fairytale castle. I never thought it would become true."

Freyja paused for a second before smiling, "How amusing."

"What?"

She gave Jane a wry smile as she walked back to the door, "When I was young, I often wondered what my life would have been had I been a commoner. Seems all dream of what is on the other side. I must leave you now, as the Council will need me. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. Aileth will be here soon to aid you in any form possible."

With that, she walked out and closed the door behind her. Loki leaned against the wall across from her with a bemused look on his face. He straightened as she approached.

"A commoner? Whatever gave you such fanciful ideas?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Simple curiosity. Has the Council convened?"

"Yes, they await your return," he replied, keeping her casual pace. "Who could have murdered Sigyn? Any sorcerer is more than capable of such an act."

"No, Loki. We do not pass on the technique of mental demolition. To do so would be unwise and irresponsible. It was a Vanir who slew Sigyn, but that is not the question we must answer."

"I do not follow."

"I care not who or what murdered her. Those are not important as of this instant. What we need to know is why. Why Sigyn? Why wait until all three of us were to return? What was the motive behind this?"

As Loki pulled open the door to the Throne Room, they soon found out the Council was asking similar questions. Freyja winced against the arguing as they took their seats at the table. Too many people were demanding far too many answers and it was nigh on impossible to make out who said what.

Thor leaned towards Freyja, handing her a small slip of parchment while the others shouted, "This was found in Sigyn's hands."

She unfolded the piece, staring at the rune marked into the sheet. There was nothing extraordinary about the scrap but it was odd that the murderer had left anything at all. The rune was careful and precise, as if written by someone who had once found the need to take care during such tasks, but not in the same hand as the near uniformity of the bookbinders Vanaheim sported. It was also in an archaic branch of her language. A scholar who wrote his own texts, perhaps?

"What is the matter?" Loki whispered into her ear.

"Invidia," she answered, handing him the parchment. "No part of this murder makes the slightest sense."

"Jealousy," he translated. "One of the five offenses of the Vaniric religion, is it not? Does this make our murderer an extremist?"

"Extremists are sloppy. There will always be a mistake made, but this shows precision. This is someone sending a message."

"But what are they attempting to say?"

"I haven't the slightest."

"Freyja," Thor said, causing the raucous to die down. "What do you make of this?"

"I regret to say that Sigyn's death was at the hands of a Vanir. I cannot discern who would do such or why with so little information."

"How can you be certain this was not an attempt at war?" Tyr asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"If my people wished to wage war against Asgard, we would have done so. An act of war would be immediate and ostentatious, not subtle."

"This is the Vanir's idea of subtle?" Weth demanded.

"Has no one other than myself realized the point of Sigyn's death?"

She glanced around at the blank looks that greeted her question, all with the exception of Loki who knew her opinion.

"Someone means to tell us a message and expects Thor, Loki, and I to understand it."

Fitch rolled his eyes, "You cannot be certain of such a fact, Freyja. Clever you may be but such leaps in logic are ridiculous."

"The murder was committed only just before they returned from Midgard," Forseti pointed out.

Hod shook his head, "Of course the coward would wait for the three to leave. What man in their right mind would land such a blow with the King and Asgard's two greatest sorcerers wandering about?"

"They were gone for a fortnight," Fitch replied. "Had the murderer simply wanted them gone, he would have done so the instant they left. In fact, he had many opportunities to strike before now."

Hoenir knocked against the table before gesturing towards Kvasir, gaining everyone's attention. Kvasir smiled gratefully at the silent god before speaking up.

"Have all of you forgotten the Vanir's belief in equality?"

"What does it matter?" Tyr growled.

"The Vanir believe men and women are equal in strength and intelligence."

"An ideal Asgard is in desperate need of learning," Sif muttered, earning a smile from Thor and Freyja.

"And that is of importance how?" Fitch asked.

"It means we cannot expect the murderer to be a man," Loki replied. "To limit our search could possibly doom Sigyn's murder to be unanswered."

"Women should not partake in such brutish actions," Snotra sniffed disdainfully.

Sif sat up straight, immediately insulted, "Your words imply that you believe women should be incapable of self-defense."

"This was not an act of self-defense," Vor put in. "Sigyn was a passive goddess."

"Foolish words," Loki breathed.

"We are not here to discuss the ethics of murder!" Freyja snapped, growing impatient with the Council careening off topic. "It would seem we have nothing more to discuss on the matter."

"And what action shall we take in reply to this crime?"

"To verbally or physically attack the Vanir would cause them to rally against us," Thor replied. "This was an act of a single being and we cannot threaten the entire race for it. We will continue to look into the matter, but no more. This discussion is adjourned."

Slowly, but with much muttering amongst themselves, the Council members stood and walked out. Freyja held her head in her hands as she tried to clear her mind. Loki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and leaned towards her.

"Sigyn's death was unforeseen," he whispered. "There is nothing we could have done."

"Can you be certain of that?" she replied. "I do not believe in coincidence. Kenna's arrival, Freyr's mentality, Sigyn's death, these are not simply random occurrences. Something larger is at work, but I cannot make it out. I cannot make sense of these scraps given to me."

"Perhaps it is not your place to decipher them."

"If I do not, then who will? All of these are connected to me. Why, though?"

Before Loki could think of a reply, one of the guards approached.

"Lady Princess?"

Freyja looked up with a kind smile, "Yes?"

"Lord Odin requires your services."

"My services?" she echoed, confused by the words.

The guard nodded, "He deems it both necessary and urgent."

She looked to Loki, a silent question in her eyes.

"Go," he replied, standing up. "I shall await you whilst finding a wedding gift for Jane."

Freyja couldn't help but smile at his grin, "Play nice. She is a mortal, after all."

He pecked her on the cheek, "I'll be gentle."

With that, he turned away and left through the gilded double doors. Freyja returned her attention to the guard and followed him with a sigh. Whatever Odin wanted from her, she had the uneasy feeling that it would not be pleasant.

Freyja walked through the damp caverns at the far edge of Asgard's borders. Few were brave enough to come near the cursed land, leaving it desolate and barren. She had been correct in the assumption that Odin's task for her was not enjoyable and now she feared for Jane's safety. She hoped the young woman would be able to withstand her task.

A sudden breath of wind extinguished the flame in her palm, cloaking the entirety of the cavern into darkness. She heard the soft laughter of several people echo off the walls but knew there was only one entity within the chamber. It ghosted around her mind several times, never gauging more than what could be obtained from the edge. She heard the laughter grow to a chuckle until a sepulchral bass became prominent over the others. Deep and rich, the voice seemed to resonate from all around her.

"I awaited you, Princess," it said, voice lingering over the last word. "It has been so very long since I last had company."

Freyja cast a glance around the darkness, "You make it your goal to frighten any living soul until they are petrified by what you have shown them and yet you wonder why company eludes you?"

That elicited a chuckle from the creature, "Oh, I do not wonder. It is most interesting to see how the individual reacts to their darkest haunts. I take pleasure in seeing the difference between the brave and the cowardly."

"So I've heard. I trust you know why I am here."

"Odin Allfather sent for you. But that is not why you have come. You chose to come. No one, not even the great King of Asgard, can force you to bend to his will. Why are you here, Freyja?"

"I am here to obey the laws of Asgard: every prospective wife of the princes of Asgard must face a test set in motion by the former king. There is no other reason why I am here."

"Oh, but there is. There is something you wish to know, that you believe I know. You are correct, of course, but I will not answer until I've had my fun."

"This discussion grows tedious," she sighed, feigning boredom. "I wish nothing more than to bring you to Asgard, finish the test, and leave you here."

A snarl tore through the cavern, echoing as several different voices. The darkness lightened enough for her to make out several beasts with red eyes surrounding her.

"I will not accompany you until I've had my fun," it snapped. "It has been a millennium and a half since I've had a visitor and I will make the most of it."

With a slow exhale, she sat cross-legged on the floor, "Do your worst."

Silence followed her proclamation before the laughter returned.

"You are the most perplexing being to ever grace my home, Princess. Your fears are not tangible, as most are. But I see them, all the same. Such a noble young princess, worrying far too much over what she cannot control…"

She grit her teeth as she felt the demon stir around her, preparing to take any chosen form. As it appeared before her, she forced herself to remain outwardly apathetic towards its form. It was herself.

Of course, it was not a full copy of her, but the differences did nothing to comfort her. Its eyes were deep brown with the royal golden ring around the pupils, its hair cropped close to its chin, its angles were more pronounced to give it an otherworldly look while its gait was reminiscent of a feral beast. When it grinned, its teeth glinted in the dim light the demon had allowed.

"You fear yourself," it hissed, tone delighted. "You fear what you are and what it means. Quite rightly so, I'm afraid. It is truly a delight when fear is justified."

"What have I to fear of myself?" she demanded quietly. "I know who I am and what I am capable of."

"Oh, but you worry. You worry that your patience is not up to par. You worry that your short temper will get the better of you. When it does, you will snap. Hold on tightly to sanity, halfling, for you will lose your composure if it so much as cracks."

"Worry is not a fear."

"Worry leads to fear. Often it leads to irrational fear, but yours is very real. But it is not just your blood that concerns you. Your 'family' is all you have left, isn't it? Freyr, Thor, Sif, Frigga, Hel, Jormungand, Fenrir, and Loki, so little left of what you once had. With this killer in the crowd, you cannot help but worry that you cannot protect them. You let your family slip through your fingers once, who's to say it won't occur again?

"And Kenna causes you even more anxiety. Just how much does she know of the prophecy, if anything at all? How has her upbringing changed the hostile nature of halflings and how can you-"

The doppelgänger stopped its circling for a second, a look of realization crossing its face.

"Oh," it breathed, grin beginning to form. "Oh, this is exquisitely delicious!"

It pointed a delicate index finger at her, eyes shining in ecstasy, "You fear you cannot protect them from yourself! If you lose yourself, who will hold you back from releasing the strength you carry on those you hold most dear? You would rather take your own life than risk theirs, yet you know it would destroy them to do so. You have dug yourself a grave from which you cannot hope to escape!"

"I grow weary of this game," Freyja snapped, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the topic.

"But this is the best part!" it declared, throwing its arms wide. "You truly are a gift, Vanir. I have never tasted such exquisite fear."

"You have no hold over me, demon," she retorted, forcing herself to remain calm.

"Yes, you know your fear too well, but what of the fears you are unaware of?"

"I know myself well enough to state my fears."

"Sweet, I see the fears of every being within the Nine Realms. Not even the stoic Heimdall can evade my powers. Do you not wonder what the great Allfather fears?"

Freyja grit her teeth and looked away, "I have no interest in what concerns Odin."

"Not even if it pertains to you?"

When her gaze snapped back towards the demon, it had taken the appearance of a woman with a mess of blonde waves, pixie-like features, and bright gray eyes. She had seen the portrait of the same woman many times before. Loki had spoken admiringly of her many times before. The demon had taken the form of Angrboda.

"Do not tell me the death of your lover's wife never perplexed you," it taunted. "She was perfectly healthy until the time of birth. She died and her daughter was deformed. It was not a natural phenomenon."

Freyja narrowed her eyes, "I don't follow."

"Oh, I think you do. Odin came to me once for a favor once, and I could taste his fear before he set foot inside this mountain."

"What favor could you have bestowed?"

The false-Angrboda's lips curled into a cruel smile, "He wanted me to dispel his fears."

"Impossible. You invoke fear, not dispel it."

"Ah, but you do not know the story. This was when Odin often frequented the home of the Norns. He asked about his death, and they told him it would come at the hands of the daughter of his false son. Of course, when lovely Angrboda was expected, Odin feared for his life."

"I do not see how this involves you."

"I trust the Scholars taught you of demon physiology."

"Information on demons is sparse, even to the Vanir. You should know why."

The demon grinned and nodded, "Demon venom, depending on the being it originated from, has quite interesting effects on others. Most often, constant doses are fatal."

Freyja's eyes widened as she realized where the tale was going, horrified that the Allfather would take such drastic measures. The demon only smirked with a chuckle.

"After a rather tempting price, I gave him what he desired. Every evening, he would enter the kitchen and add the required dose to her meal. The day before the birth, his hand slipped. He did not believe it would make much difference but, as I stated, our venom has peculiar outcomes. The woman died and the child was affected."

"You lie," she whispered, shaking her head.

"But he was forced to take another road due to his mistake. So when she came of age for her title, when no one could protest, he deemed her goddess of death and sent her to Niflheim where she would rule over her namesake. Odin rid himself of his downfall and no one was the wiser."

"You are wrong."

"Ask the Allfather yourself. In fact, if he did such to Loki's first wife, what shall he do to the second?"

"I do not fear Odin."

The demon leaned against the cavern wall and inspected its nails, "No, you don't. Pity. Most would fall to their knees at the thought of the Allfather's wrath. You fear so little. I'm practically starving on the bones you've given me."

"Perhaps it is this discussion," she replied, hiding a smile. "All the tales have said you simply recreate one's greatest fears and yet you've decided to talk. Why? In need of a decent conversation?"

It shrugged noncommittally, "There is nothing I can show you that you will fear. Only one other has been the same. You are quite like him if you look below the surface."

"Who?" she asked, unable to help herself.

"King Njord Saevarson of Vanaheim," he answered, suddenly shifting into the familiar form of her father.

"I am nothing like my father," she said, practically growling at the demon's words.

"Ooh, it seems as though I've found a sore spot. Best not lie to yourself, dearie, for you can be exceptionally similar if need be."

"There is nothing similar about us."

"Trust me, love, your heart can be as cold and black as his. You simply hide it behind strong morals and a pretty face."

With a cry of anger, Freyja threw a spear of silver energy at the surprised demon. Its façade fell away as it was struck, writhing as a large, shadowy mass on the ground. The ethereal cry that came from it echoed through the chamber and a few stones fell loose. She wasted no time in weaving a cage around it as she approached, watching as tendrils of the beast attempted to find purchase.

A shaky laugh rang from the spherical prison, "I see you carry his cruelty, as well. Do you think he wasn't once a compassionate man?"

The twitch of her fingers caused the field to shrink, leaving the demon with barely enough room to move.

"I've grown tired of your words," she snapped. "If so much as a squeak reaches me, I will compress this cage before you have time to shrink."

Heeding her words, the demon fell silent. With a quickly uttered incantation, the Tesseract hanging from her neck pulled them back into the heart of Asgard. The demon's cage turned invisible as she walked through the courtyard towards the palace doors. She spoke to no one as she made her way to Odin's study, not even the caged beast said a word as they went.

Freyja practically tossed the sphere into the study when she opened the doors. Odin looked up in surprise as she did, no doubt wondering what had caused her foul disposition.

"Here is your demon," she snapped. "Do what you intend but involve me no further. I will have no hand in this matter."

He blinked slowly, at loss for words for the first time in his life since his father's death. She nodded her head curtly in the usual sign of respect, though it was more of a mocking gesture from her, and walked back out. She wanted no affiliation to kings who hurt their daughters and demons with attitude problems. Her anger was erased, however, when Thor came storming down the hall with a worried expression on his face.

"Thor!" she called. "Is something amiss?"

He looked slightly relieved when he saw her, "Freyja. Thank the Norns. Something is wrong with Jane. I left to find us sustenance and she would not allow me to enter when I returned."

"Would she say what-"

"No, but I fear something grave has occurred."

"Of course it has," she muttered. "Let us see what the problem is."

Freyja could tell the second they stepped towards Thor's door that something was indeed different. However, when they knocked, the door slid open a fraction of an inch to reveal Sif.

"Sif?" Thor started, taken aback. "Where is Jane?"

"She's here, but it would be best if you stayed put for the moment."

"What is the matter?" Freyja asked, growing worried at the shield maiden's expression.

"It's best if you see for yourself, Freyja."

Before she could reply, Sif tugged her in by her arm and shut the door. She could hear Thor protesting as he knocked on the wood, but her attention was focused completely on the occupant within the room.

"Oh," she breathed, raising her eyebrows at the silver feathers.

Jane, despite being quite literally covered in shining silver feathers, was standing in the center of the room with her arms ever so slightly extended. Had it been any other person, Freyja might have laughed at the look of shock of her face. Jane looked up at Freyja and gestured to herself.

"Feathers!"

"Yes, I see that," Freyja muttered, unable to say anything else.

"Is it some sort of spell?" she asked, turning to look in the mirror. "Why would anyone make a spell like this?"

"I told her this is Loki's doing," Sif sighed.

Freyja didn't reply as she was still attempting to make sense of the entire occasion. She vaguely remembered Loki saying he would give Jane a gift, but he also swore to use something mild.

"Great! Thor's brother hates me already. What do I do if the rest of them hate me?"

At the mention of Thor, Freyja realized exactly what was going on.

"'Nice feathers'," she muttered, remembering the same words. "Jane, Loki does not loathe you."

"Well, he certainly doesn't like me," she replied, waving a feathered arm to prove her point.

"On the contrary. I believe this is his gift to welcome you to the family."

"Gift? How is this a gift?"

Freyja barely bit back her smile, "Oh, this is quite simple. You should have seen Sif's."

Sif turned sharply, pointing a condemning finger at her, "You swore never to speak of it again!"

"I swore never to repeat what occurred, not that I would refrain from mentioning it."

"Can you fix it?" Jane asked before Sif could reply.

"Most probably," she replied, approaching Jane.

"What was your gift?"

Sif watched as her friend turned bright red and murmured something incoherent. Silver tendrils trailed from her fingers as she recited spell after spell. As the minutes rolled by, Sif began to laugh softly as she noticed something odd about Freyja. After seeing her spells failing, Freyja tugged gently on one of the feathers.

"I do not understand what he has done here. It is almost as if it absorbs the incantations," she mused.

Meanwhile, Jane's eyes were steadily trailing up above Freyja's forehead to stare at the anomaly.

"Um, Freyja?"

"What is-" Freyja stopped as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. "Oh, for the love of the Yggdrasil."

Her spells had taken affect, but Loki's had altered them in some way she had missed. Two golden, curling horns protruded from her temples and curved around the edges of her face, just out of her peripheral vision. With an exasperated sigh, Freyja turned and walked towards the door.

"Excuse me, Jane. I'm afraid there is nothing I may do to remedy this and I must speak with a certain god of mischief."

Thor stared as Freyja walked out, head held high despite the rather ludicrous horns she had acquired. He didn't comment on the matter, deciding it was wiser not to ask. Loki, on the other hand, found it quite amusing as he looked at her over the top of his book.

"You are aware," he started as he sat up on her bed for a better look, "that you could have simply stated your admiration for my helmet."

She snapped out a single incantation before he could counter it. His skin, all except for his face, slowly morphed into snake scales that were poisonous green in color. She then picked up the basin of water in her washroom, converted it into sand, and promptly dumped the entirety of its contents on top of him. This was how Loki found how unpleasant sand under snake skin could be, especially when there was no way to scratch the itches through the infernal things.

At dinner, Thor lost his composure and laughed whole-heartedly at his extremely uncomfortable brother. He received golden fur and a tail for his troubles. Odin soon found that he had raised boys too proud to apologize for their slights and allowed a woman too stubborn to remove her spell into his palace. The royal family was the royal menagerie for precisely two days before the Allfather lost his patience. Frigga quietly admitted to herself that it was quite nice to have the family act as they once did, even if it meant Loki mocking Odin behind his back during the rants. He was sentenced a week of house arrest when Odin found out.

Needless to say, he did not remain in his rooms.