Chapter 16

20 November 2017, Ste. 4102, Avengers Tower, New York City

"Emilie?" Barnes walked into the smaller sitting room, where his wife liked to read in the evenings, and watched her reaction to him carefully.

"Bucky! You said you were going to the range again tonight. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Just tired." Aware how thin his excuse sounded, since Emilie knew as well as any of his colleagues how, as long as he could lift a gun and stand, physical ailments would never keep him from training for a mission.

"Oh. Well, I'm happy you are back, but do you want me to get something for you? Coffee or…something?"

He grimaced and said tersely, "No."

"Oh. Are you sure you are ok?"

"Fine." Bucky then dropped onto a chair near the doorway and groaned. "No, I'm not fine, but it isn't something you should worry about."

Concerned, Emilie asked, "Is it the mission?"

"No. Look, Emilie, I want to talk to you about some things. Don't make that face, please. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Are you sure?"

Bucky got up again and moved onto the ottoman in front of Emilie, then he said softly, "Really. I think that I have made some enormous mistakes, but not you, my love."

Her eyes popped open wide and Emilie asked in a whisper, "Why do you say that you have, Bucky? What has happened?"

"Nothing has happened exactly. S***. I don't know how to even talk about this with you." He stood up and stalked across to the window. As he stared blindly out into the Manhattan sunset, Bucky miserably continued, "Look, Emilie, I know that I've been a total horror to live with. I'm insanely jealous. I've caught myself as I do or say ridiculous things and I wonder what is wrong with me." He turned back around and slumped back against the glass as he said, "You've never once given me a reason to suppose that you would run off with someone else. Even if you absolutely despised me and met someone you thought was better, then you'd still be loyal to me because you revere the bondmatch. I've always known that. I just haven't been able to help myself."

"I know. At least, I know that your jealousy was something you haven't known how to control. But I didn't think that you trusted me really. Do you really know that I am loyal to you, Bucky? Truly?"

"I do. I have always known, but it has seemedblike no matter what I knew that I had a vicious voice shouting the opposite in my ear. I couldn't drown it out."

Emilie asked sceptically, "But you can now?"

"Maybe. Right now, yes. The problem is that I'm pretty f***ed in the head, Emilie. And I know that someone who has done the things that I have has absolutely no business bonding with a woman as wondrous as you."

Emilie stood up and crossed the floor as she asked quietly, "Then why did you do it?"

"Because I had to. I had to, Emilie, because as soon as I saw you, then I knew I either had to win you or just give up."

She stopped walking a few feet away from him and exclaimed, "Give up? You would have killed yourself?" Emilie looked at him unhappily, as she added, "That's…even for you, that is pretty over the top, Bucky."

Bucky nodded seriously. "Yeah, I know. That is why I never told you that before now. I am aware how ridiculous my reaction was."

"But, Bucky, you've continued to punish me for acknowledging your Claim, since you feel you aren't worthy. I feel as if you decided that I'm not trustworthy because I was foolish enough to bondmatch you."

"No, baby, I have always trusted you. I don't know why I have been this way. I don't know how my brain works. I never consciously thought anything other than that I love you and that you wouldn't ever truly love me in return, so I had to keep any interested Alphas far away."

"Which to you meant any other Alpha on the planet, Bucky."

He sighed. "Only unmatched ones. I know. I am a fool."

"Even if that Alpha was your bonded brother."

"Yeah." Bucky nodded. "Yeah. I know."

"Steve would rather die than hurt you. Steve wouldn't betray you any more than I would."

"I know. I know, Emilie. It was a mistake to do a lateral bond. I should have allowed you to have Steve as a brother."

Emile gasped. "But you said…Bucky!"

His expression immediately shifted to deep shame, as Bucky replied, "Yeah, I lied. Steve would have loved to take you on as his sister. My jealousy has basically deprived you of everything since the moment we bonded. I've been terrible to you."

Emilie stared across at him for a while before she finally asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"

He shook his head and did not reply to her question. Finally, he asked, "Why did you choose me?"

"Oh. Because…because I loved you. It wasn't because of how handsome you looked or because I could see how you felt about me. I just watched you while you were saying all of these incredibly charming things that were meant to sweep me off my feet and I saw something in your eyes. Somehow all your words suddenly meant something different. I knew that you needed me to acknowledge your Claim. That was why I agreed to sit beside you at dinner to find out if we were compatible. Before dessert, I knew that I was going to say yes. I cannot give you any better reasons than that."

"My desperation. That was what you saw, Emilie."

Emilie nodded. "Maybe, I don't know. So, why did you choose me then? Was it just because I am guardian-class and you are level 5, so you formed that supposedly irresistible hormonal attraction? Was it that simple like all those fairy tales they read me as a little girl?"

"No. Perhaps the desperation came from that, but not my emotions. I'd actually forgotten about those stories. I remember my mother reading them. But no, Emilie, it had nothing to do with that. I just saw you smile and that was it. I was on the other side of the room and standing next to an Omega who was turning it on strong to attract Steve, so I couldn't possibly have caught any scent from you, Emilie. It was just you."

"My smile."

Bucky's laugh was hollow with misery. "Yep. Something I've nearly banished thanks to my absolutely s*** treatment of you."

Emilie perched on the chair near the window where Bucky was still propped up as he watched her and asked, "Why did you start this conversation, Bucky? What has changed?"

"No one particular thing has changed, but I was forced to rethink some things." Bucky laid his hand on her cheek and said sadly, "Something Barton said a few days ago made me really analyse and reconsider the last four years. I didn't like what I saw."

"If any of it was my fault, then I hope you will tell me. I would never want to hurt you, Bucky."

Bucky stroked back her hair and said intently, "I know, my love. I do know that. I actually believe everything that you've tried to tell me." He leant down to kiss her head and then said in a voice rough with emotion, "Once I came to realise that you meant it and that you'd always meant it, then it was like a revelation."

"Oh, Bucky."

He hesitated for a moment before he asked uneasily, "Can you still be happy with me, Emilie, now after everything I've put you through?"

Emilie tilted her head and stared at him for a moment before she answered, "Yes."

"Can I make things right with you? I think that I can promise that I can and will control the jealousy."

"Oh. Honestly?"

"Yes, although I cannot pretend that I'll be perfect. I'm not always in complete control."

She sighed. "I know."

"But I am going to learn that. I do love you and my actions have not shown that. It has to change."

"That would be wonderful, Bucky, but I don't want to get my hopes up. How is anything going to change tangibly?"

Bucky laid his hand along her arm and lightly stroked it, as he said quietly, "Quite a lot. You have wanted friends and you've wanted to be able to do things outside of the house when I'm not there. You should be allowed to go out of the tower with a friend."

Frowning with uncertainty, Emilie asked, "You will let me go out without you?"

"Yes. There was never any good reason for me to be so untrusting. I've just been paranoid about all of the worst case scenarios. Here in the tower, we have security personnel that would travel with you. I think that, as long as you have a friend with you, it should be fine. I'm not sure that Clémence is sufficient company because she's as silly as a new-born kitten. However, Barton's wife is an acceptable companion if the two of you want to have a car take you somewhere safe. I trust that Stark's drivers won't take you somewhere unsafe, since both Barton and Romanova are deeply protective of Mrs Barton's safety."

"Thank you, Bucky. That would be wonderful. Ms Romanova is perhaps more protective than Mr Barton, you know. Ellie says that it was Ms Romanova who made the list of places where Mr Stark's drivers could take her after Ms Romanova personally vetted every location herself. Mr Barton was willing to just let Ellie have a bodyguard and choose for herself where she went."

"I'm not surprised about Romanova, since she's nearly as paranoid as I have been. However, I don't want you to repeat that about Barton to anyone else. It might give them the idea that Barton does not care for his bondmatch sufficiently."

"Oh, no! I promise that wasn't how I intended it. I know he cares for her."

"More than that, my love. Barton is deeply in love with his bondmatch. In fact, probably as much as I am with you. That is why I listened to what he had to say."

"Do you really think so?"

Bucky nodded firmly. "There isn't any doubt. Barton would do anything for his match—without hesitation—which is why Romanova cares as much as she does. She is not the type of woman who bonds to anyone easily, Emilie. Somehow Barton was her exception and now his match is her sister. Surprisingly, Romanova seems to have truly bonded, too, which is what makes me realise that I should have allowed you that with Steve. I would like it if we could change the bond."

Emilie asked uneasily, "It cannot though, can it?"

He hesitated before he replied slowly, "It can, actually. It is just extremely difficult unless the Alpha can perfectly control his scent."

Clearly confused, Emilie responded, "But you can."

"Yeah, well, I'm one of maybe 20 Alphas in the world who can."

"Is it really that rare? I know that Mr Barton can, too. Ellie told me and now that I've said that, I remember that I wasn't supposed to mention that, actually."

Bucky muttered, "Cr**, really? And Barton isn't even Enhanced. Emilie, baby, you must never tell anyone that Barton can scent at will. No one. You cannot imagine how important it is that no one know that information."

"I won't say anything. I know that I'm not supposed to talk about your abilities to outsiders, Bucky. I wouldn't say anything about Steve or Mr Barton either."

"Good. Good. Look, if Steve and I control our scent so we are producing bonding hormones, we should be able to shift the bond. Steve has read probably everything available on this and he thinks it can work."

Emilie nervously asked, "Is it safe?"

"I have made bonding hormones for you on our bondmatch day every year, baby. You know it is safe."

"I meant safe to try to shift the bond. It won't damage our bondmatch or something if Steve is making his hormones, too, right? Because as nice as it would be to have a stronger family, Bucky, it is too important to keep my bondmatch to you stable."

Bucky wrapped his arms around her and replied in a low, rumbling voice, "There is nothing that could break my bond to you."

Emilie looked up at him and then, slowly, began to smile brightly and said, "Ok. Ok, If Clémence is willing, then I will do it."

29 November 2017, Ste. 3800 B, Avengers Tower, New York City

Eleanor stared at the wall in front of her. She'd lost him. She had lost him. She had lost Clint all because she was so weak and stupid. Why hadn't she been strong enough? Why was she so useless? Now he didn't want her anymore. Who could even blame him? He couldn't be proud of a match who was like her, could he? So now, he didn't even want to kiss her, whereas he had been exceedingly physically demonstrative before he had left. She had assumed that he would be the same when he returned. Instead, he seemed almost uncomfortable in her presence.

She knew that she needed to hurry and get dressed. Natasha had been very clear when she expected Eleanor to be ready that morning. Eleanor was actually relieved that Clint would not be the one with her in therapy that morning. The joint part of the sessions was so much harder than the private portion. Whilst she was usually scared and embarrassed, Clint was always angry and frustrated. On the other hand, Natasha was cold and clinical: supportive but not emotional. That was far better than the quiet fury that Eleanor scented from Clint throughout any of their sessions.

Lately, Clint seemed to be angry about a great many things, actually. He and Natasha were often out of sorts with each other. She knew from Emilie that he and Bucky had come to blows briefly a week previously. Clint had argued jealously with Tony when he had sent Eleanor a beautiful new silk wrap to wear out on the balcony. Clint's furious reaction had made her cry with embarrassment and worry, which had ridiculously led to a further argument with both Tony and Steve. Clint now had poor relations with nearly every member of his team, in fact, which was incredibly unlike him. Eleanor knew that Natasha was deeply concerned and his colleagues were fast losing patience.

But the worst of all was how he had reacted to her medical treatment, since it had such unpleasant ramifications for her. Clint had been utterly livid to discover that her night-time pill was a combination of Clonidine, Seroquel, and Buspar. He had insisted that Eleanor was being dangerously overmedicated and demanded to speak with the chief dispenser. That had, in turn led to a very uncomfortable appointment with her physician. When the physician had refused to change the prescription, Clint had immediately insisted that Eleanor be discharged from the physician's client list.

Despite his recent arguments with Clint, Tony still seemed to want to retain his familial role as Eleanor's terminal guardian, so he had convinced Clint to allow him to bring in a private physician that specialised in working with guardian-class Omegas. That physician had admitted that Eleanor was overmedicated, so he decided to change all of her meds immediately. So, over three days, she had been suddenly transitioned off Seroquel and Clonidine and onto a stronger dose of Buspar. Yet, after only two days, the drastic transition had proved horrific for Eleanor, who became so physically ill, as well as emotionally unstable and anxious that the physician diagnosed her with acute agonia and placed her on isolated bedrest.

Furthermore, she had recently overheard the physician telling Natasha that if Eleanor didn't improve that there would be no choice but to admit her to treatment at Weill Cornell. She knew just what that would entail, which was almost terrifying enough to make Eleanor wish that she still had access to her pills so she could take the entire bottle. She had lost Clint's interest, Natasha was severely disappointed, her reputation was likely permanently damaged by the shameful diagnosis of agonia, and now they were going to put her into formal treatment where they would force her to undergo electro-sedation. She could bear with the chloral drops at night. As much as she hated how they made her feel, she could even withstand the Thebacon tablets and Pantopon injections that they gave her for the pain after the electro-sedation. But the horror of the electro-sedation was enough to make her willing to do nearly anything not to go to treatment.

"Lenochka, are you ready?"

Putting down her hair brush rapidly, Eleanor replied mendaciously, "Oh. Yes, mostly."

Natasha entered the room and stood at the doorway watching carefully. "The analyst will be here very soon. I will make you the special calming tea, alright?"

"Oh dear, the poppy one? May I please have the lavender one instead? I don't really like the flavour of the poppy tea."

"No. You know that the physician says to take this tea, Eleanor. Perhaps with honey it will be more pleasant."

"Alright, Natalia. OK." Eleanor looked at Natasha, who had carefully controlled her expression, and added nervously, "I am sorry that I was not ready before you came. I will hurry."

Natasha's mouth turned ever so slightly down, but she only replied, "We have sufficient time still. Are you hungry?"

"No. Thank you. I ate breakfast."

Natasha pointedly looked at her, but did not say anything.

"I ate some of it. My appetite is just odd right now. I am sure that it will come back once my medication is stabilised again."

"I certainly hope so. You were very slender to begin with, Lenochka, but now you are worryingly small."

Eleanor looked down at herself and asked, "I suppose that I am. He says that I look sick."

Her only tell regarding her emotions was a slow blink, after which Natasha asked, "Who did, sestrenka?"

"Clint. He doesn't like the way that I look now."

Natasha allowed her expression to demonstrate just how puzzled she was, as she replied, "That is not in the least bit true, Eleanor. Why would you think that?"

"He said that I am sickly looking. He even looks away or leaves the room immediately when I am changing. I know that isn't the main reason why he avoids me, but it is clear to me that he doesn't like how I look now that I am broken."

Natasha's breathing sped up noticeably, as she watched Eleanor for a moment. Then she asked, "Why do you feel that you are broken, Lenochka? Is this your opinion?"

"It is everyone's opinion. Clint is embarrassed by me. I am not allowed to see Emilie or Clémence right now. Their matches do not want them to be affected by my troubles, I am sure. Tony just sat there and looked sad when Clint allowed him to visit that once and he didn't come back. You have been disappointed and frustrated every time that you come. However, it is outside of my control how long my body takes to adjust to the latest medication regime, so I am stuck."

Natasha closed her eyes for a brief moment as she muttered, 'Говно! Дорогая маленькая сестренка, я боялась, что ты так себя чувствуешь.' She then breathed out slowly, as she replied, "You are not supposed to have visitors, Eleanor, since the physician wants you calm and rested. That is why Rogers and Barnes have not allowed their matches to visit and why Clint refused Tony permission to return. Both of your friends have asked repeatedly if they might come, as they miss you."

Eleanor turned away and picked up several bracelets, which she slid on while she replied, "Having to lay in bed all day for weeks makes me feel like I am in a trap—it is not calming, Natalia."

She kept her back towards Natasha, as she put on the Elizabeth Locke earrings that Clint had given her before his latest mission. Natasha had noticed that she had yet to wear any other pair, since his return. The bracelets were all gifts from Clint, too, including the heavy gold Roberto Coin bangle which Eleanor had only worn once before Clint's extended mission, since it was so large on her tiny wrist that it slid off almost constantly. As she waited for Eleanor to select a necklace, Natasha watched and saw that…yes, Eleanor was sending a subtle message to Clint that, sadly, he would never notice. Eleanor had very strong opinions on accessories and usually refused to wear anything that was silvery looking unless told to, since she had been educated in the Byzantine school and, in that tradition, jewels in a silver metal tone meant an Omega was unmatched. Yet, the platinum diamond and ruby pendant that Clint had brought back from Myanmar was the one for which Eleanor had reached. Natasha gripped her hands at her side and wondered what it would take to get through to Clint, short of breaking her word to Eleanor.

Eleanor had continued explaining, but Natasha had not been fully listening. She turned her attention back to Eleanor and heard, "…so I got in trouble since I hadn't understood that Clint only wanted me to do that when someone was there. He barely looked me in the eye when he told me that he didn't understand why I was sabotaging my health. He thinks that I don't want to get better."

Herself uncertain of the answer, Natasha asked, "Do you?"

"Yes. Yes, of course, I do. I know that I should have made a different choice and not returned to the autolavoma again. I truly don't feel the need to do it again right now. I haven't done anything since the day that you found the sewing needles in my pocket. I cannot go back and undo the past though. Therefore, now Clint is so disgusted with me that he doesn't even like me anymore, but I cannot do anything about it."

Natasha grimly replied, "Lenochka, мой маленький соловей, Clint is desperate to help you. He would do anything to make you better."

Eleanor sat down on her vanity chair and reached for her stockings, which she began to slowly pull over her too thin legs. "I know, because he is a good person. Even though I embarrass him, he isn't turning his back on me."

Natasha shook her head. "Clint does not feel embarrassed by you, sestrenka. He is terrified that you are going to harm yourself, as am I. We want you to get better, Lenochka."

Eleanor did not reply for a moment, as she finished pulling on her second stocking and then stood up to reach for her shoes. Finally, as she shoved her foot into one of the many pairs of pointed Valentino flats that she strongly favoured, Eleanor braved an answer. "No, I don't think so, Natashenka. Clint doesn't even want to hold my hand any longer. I finally wore that purple Oscar de la Renta gown that you and I ordered for me when he was gone. The one you said he would lose his mind when he saw, you remember? He stared at me for a minute and then didn't say a word before he went to go down to the range. He often waits until I am asleep to come to bed. He avoids me as much as he can, honestly. I understand that I'm hopeless at some things, but I want to be better and I think that I could, if I just knew what I was supposed to do."

At that moment, there was a buzz from the doorbell, so Natasha said cautiously, "Sestrenka, I think that we need to talk this over during our session today. I did not understand that you were feeling this way. Will you finish getting dressed so that I can get the door?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry that I wasn't ready. I'll hurry."

Eleanor rushed over the closet and pulled out her favourite dark pink Lanvin dress and corresponding pink and cream Loro Piana wrap. As she tugged the dress over her head, she heard Natasha's voice whilst she talked to the analyst. Eleanor wondered just what Natasha was telling the analyst. Whatever it was, they would all talk about it in a few moments.

As soon as she had checked her hair in the mirror and wiped a bit of extra powder off her cheek, Eleanor hurried out into the corridor that led to the sitting room. Yet, she immediately froze because she heard Clint's voice. He wasn't supposed to be there! Why had he come?

Eleanor leant against the wall and listened as Natasha replied at length to whatever Clint had said. The tone of Natasha's rapid Russian was very angry, which surprised her. Was Natasha telling Clint what she had said? Was she that angry with her?

Clint's voice was nearly a growl it was so low when he responded. She thought it was a very good thing that she could not understand Russian yet, since whatever Clint had said must have been very unpleasant. Did he dislike her that much now that he would respond so angrily to Natasha's report about their conversation?

It was time to go out there or one of them would come to find her. She didn't need to inflame things by making them angry by being late. Eleanor inched her way down the corridor, so she was finally standing at the doorway to the sitting room and peeking in.

Clint's body language nearly screamed pain and aggression, while both he and Natasha were scenting heavily. It was nearly enough to make Eleanor run back to the bedroom. However, Clint stopped in the middle of furiously snarling something at Natasha and turned rapidly. As soon as he saw Eleanor gripping the doorway and watching them, he crossed the floor so he was standing in front of her. He said only, "It's ok, baby." Then he wrapped both arms around her tightly.

The relief that flooded through her was almost enough to make her knees collapse. Eleanor clung onto the front of his shirt as he hugged her and spoke into her hair, "It is going to be ok, Ellie."

Somehow, a few moments later, she found herself on the sofa with a blanket wrapped over her legs and Clint on her right with his arm tightly wrapped around her, which was enough out of character to confuse her. But even more startling was that Natasha had sat down on her left and taken Eleanor's left hand in her own. She had not been treated that way since before her mistake. The temporary reprieve was so incredibly comforting that Eleanor sighed and looked across at Dr Swanson. Perhaps this session would be different.

29 November 2017, Grounds Outside Prince Thor's Pavilion, Someplace Else

The autumn rains of Vanaheim swirling around him and whipping his hair around wildly, Thor stood over the shrouded body of his brother, gripping Loki's sword in his hand.

"He fought bravely, your highness."

"I know. He was always brave. Always an incredible fighter. I cannot comprehend this loss, Fandral. My brother."

Fandral nodded. "This is a great loss for Asgard and our cause."

Sif spoke quietly from the other side of Volstagg, who was supporting Thor. "My lord, your own wound badly needs dressing."

"The body must have a guard of honour."

Fandral and Hogun each bowed. Hogun gravely replied, "We shall both keep guard, my lord."

Volstagg asked carefully, "Will you allow us to bear you to the healers now, your highness?"

Thor shook his head and stared down at Loki's body, which was pale despite the blue skin of his natural form. He looked up and caught Sif's expression. He frowned and looked away with a shuddering gasp. "Very well, Volstagg, help me to the healers."

Sif walked over and moved to help Volstagg support Thor, but as soon as she touched his arm, Thor quietly said, "Lady Sif, you must take yourself to the tents for your own wound to be attended."

A look of betrayal slipped across her face momentarily, but Sif then bowed her head briefly as she replied tightly, "Very well, your highness. You are gracious to consider my health."

"Dear lady, the health of all four of you is of the gravest import to me. Always, I would have you well-tended, my lady Sif."

Sif nodded and then bowed again before leaving.

Volstagg nearly carried Thor, as they slowly limped towards the healer's tent. After several minutes, Volstagg commented, "She thinks well of you, my lord."

Thor sighed harshly and turned his head in the direction that Sif had gone. "And I of her, Volstagg, but now is not the time for handfasting and feasts, friend."

"Is it not? There has been little joy amongst our peoples ere this battle began."

29 November 2017, Royal Pavilion, Hörfa Konungsins, Vanaheim

Loki shrugged away Thor's grip on his shoulder and said dourly, "I will be fine, Thor. I got away clean. The best news of all is that Jotunheim has a new king."

Thor stood with a grim expression on his face and replied, "I find no joy in that news, brother. You had a knife in your gut due to jötunn treachery, Loki."

"As I said, I will be fine. Our healers are more than up to the task of treating this wound, Thor. I am relieved that my half-brother, Hailstrum, is now king of Jotunheim, not Bjorgolf, who is openly hostile towards Asgard."

"And why should I trust that Hailstrum would not betray us like Grundroth?"

Loki sighed. "Truthfully, Thor, I rather liked Grundroth. I was quite surprised that he chose to attempt to steal the Casket before our alliance was completed. I don't like Hailstrum, but perhaps him being blood kin to me will prove helpful to us. That and the fact that I required him to take a blood oath over his son. That might help even more, truthfully."

"Loki!"

"It is the jötnar way, Thor. Or don't you remember?"

"I do. You know that I do. That is how Laufey's life was forfeit. Yet, we used trickery in crafting that oath, Loki, therefore I have long felt discomfort when I remember the circumstances. We knew that Laufey did not know that you are his first son, when he made me the promise over his eldest-born's head. I do not like our deceit in this matter and I fear Hailstrum will avail himself of this chance for vengeance."

"True, and he may well choose that despite the fact that it would doom his people. Jötnar have long, bitter memories, as you know perfectly well. Furthermore, it says much about Hailstrum that Laufey felt he would have allowed his father to betray an oath, Thor. I may be a trickster and a liar, but I have never broken an oath."

Thor nodded sententiously. "I know. You are not faithless, Loki. Your mother was clearly a giantess of calibre."

"I wouldn't know. She died when I was born, seemingly. And my size proves to other jötnar that her blood was inferior. Nevertheless, Hailstrum knows that I could take the throne by rights, so he needs to tread carefully."

Thor made a sceptical face. "Or he may choose to thrust a blade in your belly like Grundroth did."

"Yes, he might. Or I may revenge myself on Hailstrum for Grundroth's betrayal. He and I are both jötnar, after all. Thor, we still have the alliance. We still have the Casket. Your mighty battalion of Valkyries are holding the lines in Vanaheim. It is going well."

"I hope so, Loki. I certainly hope so."

Loki asked in a slightly teasing tone, "Has the Queen not come to visit in too long, brother? You look particularly careworn."

Thor sighed. "Sif is busy with the cares of home. Magni is teething, so he sleeps ill. The citadel is rebuilding too slowly, so she must see to that. Also, Braggi and Tyr have been at odds, so Sif has needed to mediate. I fear that I shall not see her for some time yet."

Loki smirked briefly and then replied sympathetically, "Your temper suffers greatly when the Queen is away too long. Perhaps a short visit could be arranged."

"I have already requested her presence twice and twice she has regretfully postponed because of her responsibilities on Asgard. I am loath to command it."

Now Loki's smirk settled openly into place. "Are you king or not, Thor?"

Thor's anger was immediate. "Do you question my ability to rule in my own home, brother?"

"I am merely surprised that you allow your queen to dictate her schedule to you once you have requested her presence on Vanaheim."

"My queen is a strong woman, which is why I can trust her to act as my viceroy on Asgard. Yet, she knows which of us is the king, Loki."

"As you say, brother. I am sure you know best."

Thor stalked out of the room, shouting angrily, "Eindride! Eindride, where is the courier? I must have a letter taken to Asgard!"