The young witch was not pleased at this development she had to convince Loki to fight alongside Thor. Then she smiled to herself she went down to the atrium where Thor was sitting looking at the flowers. The thunderer saw Morgana approaching him with Loki's jacket draped over her shoulders. "You were right, my lady, the flowers of Stygia are very different to the flowers on Asgard" he said "they are beautiful but they fight and feed off each other"
"As do we all, Thor" said Morgana sitting on the stone bench next to the thunderer.
"Have you spoken to Loki?" asked Thor
"I didn't need to. He's in our bedroom sulking, I take it you two had a fight." Morgana enquired smiling. Thor chuckled quietly as though he was laughing at himself.
"Aye, my lady, you could say that"
"Look Thor, believe it or not I want Loki and you to fight side-by-side but although the wound has been lanced it is yet to heal" she said gently. Thor looked at the witch, her dark mahogany, almost black hair blowing in the breeze.
"I can't understand you, Morgana? Are you friend or foe?" asked Thor
"Wouldn't you like to know, friend and foe are one and the same in the kingdom of corruption, walk in the darkness and you can never know who your friends are, you must trust your instincts."
"No riddles, Morgana"
"Very well, if you want Loki's help you're going to have to drop the whole arrogant prince thing. Ask Loki, show him you consider him an equal and worthy to you, tell him you need his help, all he's ever wanted was to be equal to you"
"I can never trust him"
"You'd be a fool to trust him, just as you'd be a fool to trust me…but sometimes 'the fool' is the part we are meant to play" said Morgana darkly a tarot card forming out of darkness in her hand with a picture of a vampiric harlequin on it. "Make of that what you will" she smiled and the card disappeared in smoke.
"Why are you so interested in Loki & me fighting together?" asked Thor
"I'm bonded to Loki in way stronger then love. When he hurts I hurt and he hurts a lot Thor." Morgana said. Thor's eyes narrowed it was clear the thunderer didn't trust the witch and with good reason he knew she was hiding something.
"I know that you want events to play out a certain way, what I don't know is why"
"That's because you don't need to know. Consider the alternative, you keep your pride and all those poor mortals are killed because of it" said Morgana leaning closer to Thor. "Perhaps Jane Foster might not be so lucky in the second Chitauri attack" she whispered into Thor's ear.
"Silence your poisonous words, witch! I will protect her" growled Thor. Morgana was unfazed by the outburst.
"Oh I'm sure you will, but then while you're protecting her how many others will be sacrificed? All those poor unfortunate souls lost because you couldn't ask for help" she said donning a tragic pose mockingly
"You're enjoying this" said Thor glaring
"It amuses me that you are willing to sacrifice so many lives for one woman and yet you still consider yourself the Hero" the witch smiled. Thor opened his mouth to protest then the penny dropped if he wanted to keep people safe from this Chitauri invasion then he'd have to swallow his pride.
Loki paced back and forth sulking while Plague lay on the bed. "He thinks he can just barge in here and order me about, well bollocks to that!" he shouted. Plague's head jerked up at its master's obscenities. "I mean centuries of being pushed aside like a child, now he wants me to bring my armies and protect his precious Earth, the gall!" the trickster god grumbled. He sat back on the bed and picked up the book on his bedside table and started to read. As he turned the pages he felt his anger melting away. There was suddenly a loud knock on the door, too loud to be a servant or slave. Plague growled but didn't move. "Go away, Thor" snarled Loki putting the book down and folding his arms defensively and pouting childishly. Thor opened the door and walked into the bedroom despite Loki's protest. The trickster god glared icily at the thunderer. "In case you are unaware, 'go away' does not mean 'come in'" he hissed
"Loki, I will not leave until you listen to me"
"So I imagine, no doubt you intend to back me into a corner and pummel me until I agree to clean up my mess" the scrawny dark haired god said bitterly
"No brother, I'm here to ask for your help" replied Thor. Loki's eyes stopped glaring and widened in surprise.
"What trickery is this?" Loki asked clearly thinking allowed
"You're the trickster not I" replied Thor. Loki's mind was reeling Thor could see he was trying to work out why Thor was acting this way. "We used to fight side-by-side; it can be that way again. You and I don't have to fight each other brother, we can fight together."
"I don't want things to be as they were, I was the runt then. I like it here on Stygia, here my people adore me, admire me and respect me, my wife loves me for who I am not how many trolls I've slain and I'm finally treated with the respect I deserve, even my brothers-in-law treat me as an equal."
"Loki I-" Loki gestured for Thor to stop speaking
"I've finally found a place where I'm happy and you come blustering in bringing back all these painful memories with you. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?" said Loki, his voice was starting to crack like he was on the verge of tears but he tried to hide it.
"Nay, brother, I'm sorry that my presence causes you so much pain" replied Thor suddenly realising how scarred Loki was from the difference in treatment between the two of them. Loki's eyes dropped and he rubbed his mouth pensively. There was silence between the two for a few minutes as Loki collected his thoughts and analysed the situation.
"If I fight to defend Midgard, then I will return to Stygia once the battle is over to rule alongside my wife. I will never return to Asgard. Is that clear?" said Loki
"You have my word, Brother. I will not try to bring you back to Asgard" said Thor
"Then you and I will ride to battle together" Loki said giving Thor a little sideways smile.
The day of the coronation came Thor and Frigga were hustled into the ballroom which had been prepared for the coronation the smell of incense was in the air and Frigga could feel magic in the room. Asmodeus & Morrigan, Morgana's father & mother stood by the thrones at the end of the room talking to a scribe who wore a black monk's cowl that turned to smoke at the hem, carried a large black book and wore a mask that looked like the skull of a ram. Nobles, heroes and dignitaries were talking excitedly amongst each other. "Thor!" came a voice Thor turned his head and saw Belial approaching with his brothers and a young woman. "My lady Frigga" said Belial bowing. "You look more radiant whenever I see you" he said kissing Frigga's hand
"And you are just as charming as ever Prince Belial"
"Ah! My lady may I present my brothers Lucifer, Avarice and Cain" said Belial presenting each of the men to Frigga. "And this is our half-sister Lady Jezebel" he continued presenting a black haired woman. Thor's eyes widened as he noticed that one half of the woman's face and body was decaying and blackened with sections of bone showing, her eyes were scarlet and if it weren't for the fact she was half rotted she would've been very attractive.
"Greetings my Lady, I didn't know Lady Morgana had a sister" said Thor trying not to stare
"My younger sister likes to think she's the queen bee but that's not true at all" said Jezebel a forked tongue momentarily appeared as she spoke. "We share a Mother but that is all, if I had been born of the Witch-Class I would be the one being crowned now" she said coldly and took Thor's hand. "I would never have turned you away Thor Odinson" she said seductively Lucifer glared at her.
"That's enough Jezebel! You may be our Mother's daughter and you may also be a Stygian but you are still illegitimate, it's only by Mother's request that you are here at all" he snarled putting Jezebel in her place. "I apologize on my half-sister's behalf she is…..unruly" said Lucifer
"Aye, are you one of Morgana's brothers? I did not see you at Loki's feast" said Thor
"Yes, I am the first born and the Embodiment of Pride. I am also the Overseer which means I spend most of my time on Earth, Svartalfheim and occasionally act as a delegate to our vassals" said Lucifer smiling darkly.
"Why do you travel to Svartalfheim?" asked Frigga
"I cleared a contract Morgana had on a Dark Elf there, Malekith I believe his name was" said Lucifer then quickly changed the subject. "Are you looking forward to the coronation?" Lucifer asked Frigga
"Oh yes, I've been looking forward to it. I confess I don't know much about Stygian customs"
"Neither did Loki when he first arrived, my lady" laughed Avarice, the dandy of the brothers. "But you needn't worry coronations are one of our more boring ceremonies" he continued playfully. Frigga chuckled in reply when the sound of a horn filled the hall. The great sea of nobles parted, separating to either side of a path to the thrones on the other side of the room where the masked scribe stood with Asmodeus & Morrigan. Music suddenly started to play; a low, haunting sound filled with pain and sorrow like a requiem but it was so beautiful, so full of passion that Thor felt it tugging on his heart. Then a choir started to sing, softly at first, their ghostly voices perfect to the music that filled the room. A man in similar robes to the masked scribe but instead of wearing a mask he had his hood up and gently swung an incense burner as he slowly walked up to the other end of the room then two figures appeared side-by-side. Loki & Morgana slowly walked behind the man they both wore huge coronation mantels which trailed behind them, the white fur was broken up by black velvet with beautiful blue embroidery of dragons and elaborate patterns. Morgana had her hair tied back in a platted bun so intricate that not a single hair was stray, the make-up made her skin look like a porceline doll and she wore a large livery collar with a blue stone hanging in the centre. The two walked past everyone without looking at them. When they reached the steps to the podium they got on one knee in perfect unison and the masked scribe approached them with a large black book. Then he opened the book which he held with one hand, the other hand he extended over Loki & Morgana and started to speak in the old Stygian tongue. "Gof'nn duhtiann e xernais, niethii, yog nialless. Fl'yinnz i aicess Stygia nyya yith ai hrii nfdellor…." Thor furrowed his brow at the strange words that the masked scribe spoke when his long speech finished Loki and Morgana stood up and slowly walked forward and sat in their respective thrones. Morrigan walked over to one of the scribes and picked up a crown that looked like a headdress adorned with twisted dragon horns and walked over to her daughter. "I crown thee Morgana, Witch-Queen of Stygia and the Dark Realms" she said placing the crown on Morgana's head. The young witch's appearance instantly became more demonic. Morrigan then returned to her original place and Asmodeus walked over to the scribes and picked up a larger version of the crown Morgana wore and walked over to Loki.
"I crown thee Loki, Witch-King of Stygia and the Dark Realms" he said placing the crown on Loki's head. Asmodeus returned to his place and the masked scribe approached Morgana with a sceptre that was about the length of Morgana's fingertips to her elbow it was beautifully adorned with two dragons fighting over a purple stone at the top of the sceptre and down the shaft it had a vertebral appearance like the blackened spine of some great enemy of Stygia had been used to make it.
"Morgana, as Witch-Queen I present you with the staff, Atrocity may the blood of your enemies feed its power" he said then he turned and picked up a large black spear with three blades crafted with such beauty and horror even Thor was amazed despite the spears darkness it shimmered like a beautiful sliver of midnight, like an evil version of Gungnir, snakes coiled around the spear and on each of the blades were intricate pictures and Stygian runes. "Loki, as Witch-King I present you with the magic spear, Depravity with it you may flay the skin off your enemies from a distance or impale the enemies of Stygia" he said and stepped aside. Loki could feel the magic within this spear, a weapon to rival Gungnir, both spear and magic staff. A fitting weapon for a king Loki thought to himself.
At the celebratory feast Morgana and Loki had changed from their coronation mantles but still wore their crowns. There was a great deal of merriment and Thor was quite surprised that Stygians had the ability to be merry. After the feast everyone moved to the ballroom. Thor stood at the side watching Avarice dance with Frigga to traditional Stygian music, fast paced with a variety of pipes, strings and hurdy-gurdy. Loki sat in his throne watching the dancers. Morgana sat next to him and put her hand on his. Loki stood up and gestured to the orchestra that he wanted a different song. The crowd gathered on the dance floor parted as Loki led Morgana to the floor and they started to waltz to a haunting harp accompanied by a flute and the faint beat of drums. Thor watched his brother dance and it seemed so hard to do, his eyes kept drifting to Morgana's light feet gliding over the floor and up to her winding body the movements and shape of her body gave her a snake-like hypnotism to her movement. Loki had noticed Thor's intense staring and smiled smugly at the thought of the one thing Loki had that Thor never would. All of a sudden he wasn't so hesitant to fight alongside his once-brother.