Heimdall's gaze was wary when Natasha walked back with the demons in tow down the rainbow bridge and into the Bifrost observatory. She'd had just time enough to speak with Frigga, to tell her where she was going, before Oded had insisted that they leave, and soon. She wondered what had him so worked up, but didn't argue with his haste. It was for the best that they get this resolved as quickly as possible, that was true. Still it didn't help that Heimdall was so on guard when they arrived, and that he wished her the best of luck with a look that said that he didn't like what was happening. She reached out to lay a hand on his arm, wishing she could reassure him with more than just her high hopes that it would all turn out well enough in the end, but without anything concrete there wasn't much else to say or do.

"Tell the others where I've gone when they get back?" She asked.

He nodded, and before she knew it the Bifrost had tugged them up and she was sailing past galaxies, whole solar systems and new constellations laid out before her eyes. It grew warmer and warmer as they traveled, finally stopping upon an enormous black rock when the heat finally hit her. Sweat broke out on her brow and the back of her neck almost immediately, and she wished she knew a spell to help cool her down the same way she had kept herself warm on Jotunheim.

Her gut ached with the reminder, but she shoved it away. Later. She could think on it later.

"This way." Oded, who'd been standing behind her, brought a shout from her lips as his fingers found her shoulder and tightened. It was as if the heat had melted away the man that she'd first seen, and instead stood an enormous figure that towered above her. Broader than even Thor, his amber eyes flashed with the firelight of the world around them, skin having blackened with the heat until it resembled onyx instead of actual flesh. The others had changed similarly and her throat tightened to notice it. Fuck.

"You've never met a fire demon, have you?" Oded asked, sounding more amused than offended. Thankfully. She shook her head, swallowing down the hundred questions that threatened to spill out of her mouth and instead followed behind in wary silence, noticing the way that the world seemed to warp, to rise and fall with the heat of the land. The black rock that they walked upon stretched outwards, sometimes dipping low to expose pockets of fire and magma, other times it rose high into great mounds that grey, ash covered houses stood on. From one extreme to the other, she supposed. It was no wonder Loki had no interest coming here.

Over the crest of one enormous hill, beneath which she noticed more homes had been built into, stood what she could only assume to be the dwelling place of the king. While Asgard had a palace with enormous parapets and columns, large enough to house any number of creatures, this had been built into the earth, a steep staircase bringing them further into the earth than before. The heat grew stronger as they walked, and as though sensing her distress, she felt the runes on her wrist begin to finally cool her down even as they passed by open flames burning in grand, open halls. She was grateful, more than ever before, for the comfort of the chill, and the reminder of Loki's welcome touch after they'd spent an evening together brought a not entirely unwelcome smile to her face. Perhaps she'd been foolish to just assume that the dwarves would be the only ones to carve their palace into their earth as she'd been told about, for as Oded led her further down, deeper into the catacombs of Muspelheim. There seemed to be an innumerable amount of winding staircases that twisted and ran out of sight, disappearing behind high walls that constructed the enormous rooms they passed through. Despite the fire that was ever present shadows were their constant companions, and more than once she swore she saw one or two move of their own accord without anything to cast it.

"What is it that you provide and export, if you don't mind my asking?" She said, keeping up with Oded as best she could, forcing herself to take longer strides so as not to get lost.

His grin, which showed pearl-white teeth as long as her fingers, brought heat to her cheeks, as though her question was ridiculous. "Protection. Magic amulets and potions. Weapons, of all sorts."

Well then, she was glad to be asking them to join their side. "And what do you ask in return?" She asked. "What is considered fair trade?"

"I don't think you wish to know the answer to that, my lady."

Well. When he put it that way. She pursed her lips and kept it at that, mulling over just what could possibly be so terrible and considering for the first time that he might be right. There was likely a reason that she'd not been told much about them, and Dra'ace's humor at her insistence to go and visit with the demons might not have been entirely out of place.

Still. They needed them, even if no one wanted to admit it or do the work to guide them onto their side.

Katrik sat on his throne deep within the earth. He was, if possible, even larger than his son, filling up the whole room when he stood at their entrance. If Natasha had felt tiny before, she was certain never to have felt smaller in her life, craning her neck to see him once she'd stood up close enough. Without warrant, her mind clouded with the stories of giants that her mother had once told her, and why it was so important to keep from affronting them. She didn't doubt the same would ring true here. Unbidden, she bent the knee in front of him, her head dipping down, neck far more exposed than she ever wanted it to be.

"King Katrik, a pleasure to meet you." She said, keeping her voice loud enough to be heard over the chatter that had arose around them. The hall had filled with, who she could only assume were courtiers, those who spent their lives close to the king and had an intimate knowledge of what happened within it. Those who she might be able to use, if she could get them talking, to figure out just how to best broker this arrangement, who would know Katrik far better than Loki or Thor.

"Queen Natasha of Jotunheim, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Your letters were intriguing at best. As long as I can remember I've not held a Jotun in my own house before." The king sounded amused, even smug, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Then I am glad to be the first to grace your halls, my king." She stood, back spear-straight and the smile on her lips even and simple, even if it ached after the first few moments. "Your home is beautiful. Intimidating, of course, so I can understand why those before me were too frightened to come and visit."

His laugh filled the hall, echoed by the pleased titters from the courtiers around them, and before her the king seemed to shrink. She wasn't forced to stare up at him, that was certain, and smooth, tanned skin began to cover the form that had once been so dark she swore she was looking at more of a reflection of the night than a man in front of her. Now the king stood but a few inches taller than she did, though his eyes remained the same hell-red that she'd seen blazing beneath the cracks in the crust above. One calloused hand extended to take her own, and she was pleased to find her skin didn't burn when she placed her hand in his own, giving him a quick, appraising look. Now that he'd shifted his son was doing the same, and she saw the resemblance there, the same unsure, distrusting glance that they shared, the tightness in Oded's stance even as the three of them took a walk through the now laughably enormous halls. In his letters Katrik had promised her a private audience, and she was glad to see that he was keeping his word.

At least she hoped.

Heimdall would keep her safe, she was sure of it. And if he couldn't . . . well, then she could only hope her death might be another point to rally behind. It was all a game of strategy, wasn't it? And though Asgard and Jotunheim might not have been at its strongest, she doubted that the fire demons would want to start a war against their combined forces. She let that calm her heart, keep her vision steady as she let herself be led into a chamber a few feet deeper into the fortress Katrik had built for himself.

"How do you protect yourselves from being invaded?" She asked. "If you're deep into the ground, with no covering," she turned her head up. Sure enough there were portions of the ceiling that had been carved free to allow her a glance every so often up at the sky, a strange dusty orange, with what she could only assume was a pair of suns hiding behind thick, grey clouds. How odd this world was.

"With all due respect," Oded said at her other side, and her head turned to watch the way his amber eyes fixated on her. "There aren't many with the stones enough to wish to try and conquer Muspelheim, and those that do find that they arrange a far longer stay here than they intended."

She supposed that was as much of a warning as she got. Katrik said nothing, leading her to a large table she imagined would seat an entire council should the need have arisen, though at present there were only a handful of chairs. Natasha opted to stand as the other two took their seats, and the king's gaze turned thoughtfully to Natasha.

"Please, present your case, my lady."

"King Katrik, Prince Oded, I come to you looking for an alliance between our realms. All three of them. As you said, my king, there has never before been a Jotun queen who has come to speak with you, and while I am honored to be the first I believe that our cultures and realms can learn much from one another. I wish to open up a greater trade between our three realms, but also I come to you with a request. Thanos, the mad titan, destroyed my home realm, Midgard, and now seeks the destruction of Asgard and Jotunheim. You know this. It's not Thanos' way to remain discreet or to veil his desires for long, but I come to request your assistance. The conquering and destruction of three of the nine realms will not slake the Titan's lust for power and death, you know this as surely as I do." She paused, giving her words a hint more gravity, and keeping her gaze on the king. He'd steepled his fingers in front of him on the table, red eyes narrowed as he listened. She hoped that was a good sign.

"Jotunheim and Asgard need the assistance of Muspelheim's armies, we need its protection, and in return we shall offer you our own as well."

"Yes and that worked brilliantly for Vanaheim. Their king now rots in the great hall while his widow weeps for him." Oded interrupted. Katrik silenced him with a look that would've filleted Natasha alive had she been on the receiving end. As it was his son simply gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's the truth."

"The late king was murdered by those he thought to be friends, Prince Jerome of Alfheim. I saw it with my own eyes, and am working to prove the prince's guilt. Neither Asgard nor Jotunheim is bedfellow to traitors," Natasha said, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the prince. "Unless you're trying to prove I am, my prince, for which I'd love to see the proof."

"And I'd love to know what sort of bedfellow you are." He said, unabashedly, a smirk twisting his lips into a look that wasn't entirely too unpleasant but shot shivers down her spine.

"Enough," Katrik snarled as he glowered back at his son. "If you cannot keep your peace you will find yourself another place to sit, another realm to try and claim as your own you worm."

That wiped the smile free from the prince's face, and Natasha waited for him to settle before she picked back up again. "I witnessed the murder with my own eyes, though we had to leave Vanaheim to keep from being waylaid there for longer. I swear to you, king Katrik, that the death of Dra'ace was none of Asgard's doing."

"No, indeed. Poison was never Odin's way, nor Laufey's, and I have little reason to think their sons would seek similar means." The king supplied, extending a hand as though to ask her to continue. And she did. She offered him her case for as long as her lungs would let her, taking enormous gasps of air as she all but talked herself into a fainting spell, the heat beginning to get to her head. Her knees went weak at one moment, the spell that kept her cool faltering so that the air grew stifling even as she took as great a lungful as she could without coughing, and she took a moment to compose herself. She had to do this, had to succeed. Had to prove to them that they weren't a lost cause. They needed their armies.

At the end of it she stood, knuckles white as she clutched the back of a chair, feeling the sweat pooling down the back of her dress even as she resolutely held her place. Katrik's face was near unreadable, his eyes far away, focused on something else. Hopefully doing the math and figuring out how many troops to send.

"You have no concrete contract to offer, however? Nothing to bind the realms together?" Oded asked, arching a brow.

"I can have one drawn up immediately, my prince, should it please you." Natasha assured them with a faint smile.

"No." Katrik said finally, looking back up at her and standing.

Her heart faltered. "Surely if you would prefer to do one neither myself nor my husband would object-."

"My queen do not play coy with me."

She swallowed her words, feeling her spine stiffen further, her knees locking into place as she stood her ground.

"We will not accept these terms that you have so graciously offered. Muspelheim will keep from this war as we have all others. If you have form of payment for mercenaries or killers, then certainly I would be more than happy to speak with you about it. But without an offer of payment-."

"An alliance-."

"Would benefit you and your kin. We have no need for your protection, however, when it is you who come begging at our doorstep. What honor is there in that?"

"The same sort that lies with those who cower within their walls of stone," Natasha spat, the words contorting her face as her heart picked up in her chest. Oded was on his feet before she'd gotten the last words from her mouth but Katrik extended a hand to hold him back.

"Consider your words carefully. I admire your spirit my queen. Do not confuse that with a tolerance for cheek from queens who are not so well versed in politics to know when to keep their tongue."

She'd cut his from his mouth and show him how well she could keep her tongue in check when his own had stopped wagging. Still, she kept her silence, her eyes falling to the ground in a look of contrition. "My apologies." She could barely stomach the words, but knew they had to be said. "I will return to Asgard, then, with your answer. Thank you for taking the time to hear my request out, King Katrik."

"Yes, you will."

"Father-."

"Silence." Katrik's voice rang in the hall, startling Natasha so much that she took a step back, not having imagined such a loud voice could come from a man her size. Oded said nothing else, but when Natasha looked to him he jerked his head for her to follow. She gave one last sweeping curtsy before following him out. In each scenario she'd played out in her head about how the meeting would have gone, about how many soldiers they could procure, she'd never thought to be leaving entirely empty handed.

"Your gatekeeper will be able to reach you once you are aboveground. I suggest you leave immediately from there. I wouldn't advise returning unless you have a serious offer, either." Oded said, his words dark and biting, further blows to her ego and how sure she'd been that she'd presented a strong enough case. It wasn't supposed to have ended this way.

"What would you wish for in exchange?" She asked, though her gut told her she wouldn't like the answer.

"I'd take a tumble with you for favorable words in my father's ear."

He wasn't leading her out. She was sure she'd have recognized at least some small portion of the walk, but this-these staircases and halls were all new. Her heart caught in her throat as she looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. Hadn't she been warned of this? Why hadn't she considered he'd be stupid enough to pull something?

"I am happily married." She assured him with gritted teeth.

"And when has that ever stopped anyone? It certainly shouldn't stop anyone as lovely as you from giving more freely." Oded reached out a hand to grasp her chin, but she pulled away, looking back and around to try and find some semblance of an escape. She'd allowed herself to be moved from the presence of others, whose expectations would've kept him in check. Norns, what an idiot she'd been.

"Take me home, sir."

"I'm not ready to."

He'd backed her up against a wall, his eyes dark and teeth bared in a wide grin as he pinned her with his arms braced on either side of her. She stared up at him, the same panic that she'd felt in the face of Berserker Thor weighing her gut down, but as he came closer she brought her knee up high into his groin. He doubled over, and she shoved him away, concentrating as hard as she could on her magic to keep him from her. Ice sprang from her fingertips where she touched him, wrapping tighter and tighter around him even as he began to grow in size, shedding his human skin. She didn't stay to see what happened, picking up her skirts and running down the halls and up the stairs where he'd once led her. There came shouts from behind her, but she paid no attention to them. She'd just made it to the top of the stairs and shouted for Heimdall when a hand grasped her leg, and the pair of them were pulled up and through the cosmos. The grip on her ankle didn't let up until she'd fallen hard onto her back on the floor of the bifrost, and kicked with all of her might to undo the fingers that had burned through the protective leather of her high boots. She was grateful she'd worn them, then.

It wasn't Heimdall who had his sword pointed at Oded's throat, however, but Thor, whose teeth were bared and his eyes narrowed as he stared down the future king of Muspelheim. Loki helped Natasha up to her feet, his cool fingers welcoming her home, and she buried herself in his embrace as Thor lifted Oded to his feet and led him, by the throat, into Asgard. There'd be more than just words for what he'd tried to do, Natasha was sure of it.