The arrival of Fandral with the news that the Bifrost had been repaired and Odin was willing to send warriors to Midgard was more than a little unexpected.
I knew Loki was worried about what that would mean for him personally and so was I.
But in the grander scheme of things, it was a blessing. Any help we would get in the battle against the army Beaumont and Halja were creating was welcome after all.
Sif returned to Jotunnhold and I contacted Richard.
A meeting was held that same day, not in London, but in Venice. This matter was bigger than any one faction.
The Council of Venice is composed of members of all three main factions: the Illuminati, Dragon, and Templars. It is a watch group that makes sure all of the factions are abiding by the 'gentleman's agreement' that allows the different factions to carry out their secret war to protect Midgard from supernatural threats and to keep the Secret World from the public.
I had never been to Venice before, like most agents I had only dealt with my own faction in the past.
Thor had changed into his Asgardian armour and Loki was looking resplendent in his Jotunn armour and circlet. Fandral wore his green and black Asgardian clothing, a quiver and bow on his back.
Sif had changed into a beautiful set of white and golden armour with a long blue cape. On her arm was a white shield decorated with stylised golden wings and a white-winged helmet crowned her long dark hair.
I had taken out my dress uniform, but Loki stopped me.
"Not today, darling. Today you will not be facing the Council as an agent but as the Goddess Queen of Jotunnheim."
In the end, he had pulled a knee-length blue dress and a long white cashmere cardigan out of my wardrobe. With Laufey's necklace and the earrings Loki had given me as a wedding gift, I looked elegant if not quite royal.
"It will do," I sighed.
"You are beautiful darling," Loki corrected. "Hold your head high and present yourself with confidence, and the image you project is all that people will see."

We were led to a large chamber. To my surprise, we were awaited not just by members of the various factions but by the representatives of the world's largest nations as well: public figures and politicians I recognised from the news on TV.
I nervously fidgeted with my sleeve. Loki took my hand in his, his warm and strong hand engulfing mine, and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go again.
Formal introductions were made, we were seated and Fandral delivered his message of promised aid from the AllFather.
Appropriate appreciative platitudes were uttered, but beyond that, not much concrete was offered.
"They hesitate to offer a place to host Odin's armies, none of them wishes to give a foothold to an alien army on their territory," Loki murmured quietly behind his hand.
"I tire of this," Loki confessed to me after a while as he stood up.
"If I may? I understand the reluctance of those present to host Odin's armies. I would like to offer a different solution.
The area around Jotunnhold is classed as sovereign Jotunn territory according to treaties made in the past.
Jotunnheim would gladly offer to gracefully host the Einherjar until the threat that Hel poses to Midgard has been dealt with."
"Jotunnheim has no claim to any land here on earth, those treaties are old and were signed under duress," the representative of the United Kingdom, a well-known politician, objected.
Loki barked a short laugh.
"Do I truly hear the British criticising us for claiming territory won in the past by force?
Surely, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
Would you like us to take a closer look at the various territories you claim under your flag and see how they came to be under your rule?"
The representative turned an ugly red but sat down again without a word. For a moment, the corner of Loki's mouth turned up into the slightest smirk, then he was serious again.
His voice carried strong and deep across the large chamber. I noticed he had not turned his microphone on, yet all present could hear him clearly.
I sat back in my chair, unable to hide a smile. He was about to deliver a speech, and there was almost nothing sexier to me than Loki orating.

"War is coming, ladies and gentlemen. Have no doubt about that.
Hel's armies will invade Midgard, and you are woefully unprepared."
Loki paced up and down, underlining his words with powerful gestures.
"Midgard does not have to stand alone.
We have millennia's worth of experience fighting Hel's armies.
Asgard's and Jotunnheim's vast experience and the full brunt of the might of the gods stand at your disposal if you are smart enough to accept it."
I held my breath. I was fully expecting someone to point out that all of this was a problem of Loki's making in the first place, or that the 'might of Jotunnheim' consisted of just the two of us.
But whether it was out of politeness, an unwillingness to offend the gods standing before them, or out of fear the proffered aid would be withdrawn, none of them did so.
I realised they still weren't sure what the relationship between Loki and Asgard was, and whether offending him meant offending the other gods too.
In the end, it was agreed upon that the Asgardian army would be hosted at the hold, which did not only provide a place for Odin's armies to stay but also reconfirmed the area around the hold as sovereign Jotunn territory.

I invited Fandral to have dinner with us, thinking it would be nice for him to catch up with his old friends, but he reluctantly declined.
The AllFather had sent him for a reason and would be awaiting the word of his success.
"Shouldn't he already know anyway? Since Heimdall sees everything?" I asked curiously.
"Heimdall sees everything except that which he does not," Loki grinned.
"Indeed. Loki is not the only one who can spin wards powerful enough to keep out Heimdall's spying eyes, the room was well-protected against any kind of scrying," Fandral agreed with him.
"I thank you for the kind offer, Your Majesty.
Never before have I been offered a meal lovingly prepared by a Goddes Queen, and I am certain only a fool would pass up on such delicacies as are certain to be served for your dining pleasure tonight, but refuse I must.
Pray, forgive this fool, and grant him the opportunity to dine in your gracious presence at another time."
With a grin, I thought about the large precooked lasagna that was in the fridge and the bag of oven chips that was to go with it. Great delicacies they were not!
"Another time then, we'd love to have you," I smiled at him.
I left the friends to say goodbye to each other while I turned on the oven.

"What was your relationship with Fandral like?" I asked Loki curiously when we found ourselves alone after dinner. We were snuggled up together in his chair.
Loki hesitated. "Do you truly wish to know?"
"Yes, I wouldn't have asked elsewise."
Loki looked uncomfortable. I smiled at him.
"Hey, I know you have a past. I have mine too you know.
I didn't exactly find Jessie in a cabbage patch. I have been with other men and women before I met you, and I know you've had your fair share of lovers.
It is just that I thought you were friends, but you seemed quick enough to throw a dagger at him today."
"Heh." Loki gave an embarrassed half-smile. "Fandral and I were… well you could say we were friends, lovers and rivals, sometimes all three at once."
"Were you in love with him?"
Loki hesitated again.
"It is okay if you were. The past is the past."
"It wasn't love, it was nothing like what we have.
But there was an attraction, I confess.
It wasn't easy growing up in Asgard being different, and my differences only stood out more as I grew older. Both my attraction to men and the way I would present my more feminine side at times were met with ridicule and scorn.
Fandral and I shared at least that attraction to both men and women, and it brought us closer. Fandral was my first, and I was his.
Having the same tastes, however, often made us rivals as well. The closest you can describe it is as friends with the occasional benefit, who regularly vied over the same potential lover."
"Was that why you threw a dagger at him?
Were you so convinced that after one look at his oiled moustache I'd throw everything we have away and throw myself at him in a fit of passion?" I could not help but tease him a little.
To my surprise, Loki blushed slightly. "You wouldn't be the first to throw yourself straight from my arms at him at the sight of that moustache," he muttered.
"Oh my love, don't you know how absolutely gorgeous you are?
How crazy I am about you?
How no one could ever even begin to compare to you no matter how charmingly they introduce themselves?"
Loki smiled shyly.
I was secretly enjoying this all the tiniest bit, I was not used to seeing him so jealous.
"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Loki suddenly glared. He was way too good at reading me at times!
"Me, no… I'd never!" I giggled.
Loki laughed as he kissed me.
"You wicked, wicked woman," he scolded, his eyes sparkling into mine. I kissed him back, running a hand through his hair. For a while, neither of us said anything.

"Did you know that some in Asgard have taken to referring to you as 'The Morrigan'? Fandral mentioned it before he left," Loki asked suddenly.
"The Morrigan?"
The Morrigan was my handle, the code name I went by while out in the field as a Templar agent. The Morrigan was rumoured to have been a Celtic Goddess, and I always had supposed I was given that particular name because I was Irish.
"Why is that? Because of my handle? How would they know that?"
"Heimdall, I presume." Loki shrugged. "It adds a certain air of danger and mystery to your legend, I have to admit."
"Was she real?" I asked Loki curiously.
"As real as most myths," Loki shrugged.
"There were multiple Warrior Queens with magic powers in Ireland. Their tales were woven into one over time, creating the myth of the Morrigan.
Men fear what they can not control and they fear powerful women most of all."
I had looked the Morrigan up when I first was given my code name.
"She was rumoured to have a bunch of really cool powers, let me look it up again."
I took out my phone and googled the name.
"You know we have a library full of books that would answer any of your…" Loki began.
"I've already got it!" I interrupted him triumphantly. Loki sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"The Morrigan was a shapeshifter known for being a Goddess of War and Battle, the cycle of life and death, and was also associated with wisdom and magic. Her name meant "Great Queen."
She used spells and incantations as her main weapon and was said to have fought alongside her warriors on the battlefield.
The Morrigan was such a powerful symbol of life and death that the Celts believed she could even revive their dead soldiers to fight once more.
She is one as Morrigan and many at the same time, often described as a trio of individuals named Badb, Macha, Neiman or occasionally Anu."
"That would be because the mantle was taken up by various women over time," Loki explained. "It was easier to believe they were all the same person rather than believing multiple powerful sorceresses could have existed over time."
"Were they really goddesses?"
"That would require answering the question: What makes one a god? If we are to go by the definition that all it requires to be a god is for someone to be worshipped by others as such, then yes, the Morrigan was and still is."
I read on. "She had shapeshifting powers, that's so cool. She was known to have turned herself into a crow, a wolf, a cow and an eel."
I looked at Loki.
"You are a shape changer. Can you turn into animals too?"
"Of course I can," Loki scoffed.
"It's just that I've never seen you turn into one before. Why don't you?"
"It doesn't serve much of a purpose, I suppose.
It had its uses in the past, but it is not as if becoming a raven, a serpent or a wolf makes me less conspicuous nowadays. People would notice a raven perched on their windowsill, and with double glazing, it would be impossible to hear what was said in the room anyway."
"Since when do you only do something when it serves a purpose?" I grinned. "What about fun?"
Loki raised his eyebrows.
"That is a good question. I suppose that over the centuries I was so caught up in my struggles, I forgot to have fun with my powers.
I didn't really use them to entertain myself or others anymore until I met you."
"Can you teach me?" I asked eagerly.
"I don't know," Loki admitted, "But we could try! You are certainly powerful enough."
His blue eyes sparkled into mine with boyish enthusiasm. "What would you like to be?"
"A bird, I'd love to be able to fly!" I answered promptly.
Loki laughed. "Let us start with something simpler. In the beginning, it requires a lot of concentration to maintain a form. Your body and mind will fight against the shape you'll hold, preferring to go back to their natural state.
I know you can not die permanently, but I think you'd prefer not to plummet to your death just because your concentration wavered for a breath."
He took my hand and pulled me out of the door.
"Come, it will be better if we do this outside, it will be a lot harder to open the doors once we have paws!"

"So what do I do?"
It was dark outside the hold, evening falling early this far north. The air was cold and crisp.
"Watch what I do, and try to replicate it. If you can not, I can not help you. It is something I know how to do instinctively, I can not explain it any better."
I watched as Loki shimmered for a moment. Suddenly, instead of my tall and handsome husband, a beautiful black wolf with blue eyes stood before me instead.
"Just like this," the wolf spoke in Loki's voice.
It took me a few tries, it wasn't exactly as if he had given me step-by-step instructions.
But I had shapeshifted before into a Frost Giant with the help of my necklace which meant I was at least passingly familiar with the concept.
Finally, I felt the same odd sensation I had when I had changed into my Jotunn form, and suddenly the whole world look different.
The black wolf by my side was grinning, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
"You look ridiculous," Loki cackled, "Have you ever even seen a real wolf?"
"In the zoo, but they were usually sleeping," I admitted. "Now, are you going to keep on mocking me or are you going to help?"
"What are the odds of me having to sleep in one of the guest rooms if I chose the first option?
Never mind answering that, I'll help, I'll help!" Loki interrupted himself as he caught my glare.
"To start, make your hind legs shorter, your hips will ache for days if you don't, and make your tail longer, it will help you maintain your balance."
After a few tries, I had shifted into something that met with Loki's approval; a tawny brown timber wolf slightly smaller than his black form.
"Follow me," Loki ran off before I could answer. I tried to take a step and promptly fell flat on my face.
Loki howled with laughter as he looked behind him.
"Four legs, darling! You have four, use them!"
Once I got the hang of running on all fours, we sped off through the snow, towards the treeline and into the snowy forest.
As Loki has said, it was different to being transformed by the necklace. It took my constant concentration to maintain my new form, my body and mind instinctively wanted the return to the shape I'd held my whole life. But it was so much fun too!
Eventually, we got to a clearing. Loki sat back on his haunches.
"Would you like me to show you something amazing?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
Before I could answer Loki threw back his head and howled. After a few seconds, wolves all around us joined him in the distance.
Loki grinned at me expectantly.
"What are they saying?"
"I let them know we are merely passing through, and they welcomed us in reply."
"Really?" I asked. "You can speak wolf?"
Loki just laughed, which wasn't exactly an answer.
"Loki!"
"Catch me if you can!"
Instead of answering he ran off again. I chased after him, but Loki was too fast and I was still getting the hang of my new shape. He led me around a merry chase, finally returning to the clearing.
When I got there he had shifted back into his normal form and was lying down, making a snow angel.
I returned to my own form as well, two legs feeling strange and wobbly after having spent most of the night on all fours.
I let myself fall down next to him on my stomach and wrapped my arm around his waist, my head leaning on his chest. Loki put his arm around me.
"Will you just look at that sky, it is a glorious view," he sighed happily, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes.
"The view is glorious indeed," I agreed as my eyes got lost in his.
Loki grinned. "Oh will you just turn around woman, you can gaze at me any time you wish!" He grabbed me and rolled me around.
I looked up obediently.
The aurora borealis was painting its blue and green hues above us, swirling rivers of light that danced across the night sky.
The moon was bright and nearly full, and the stars twinkled their guiding lights.
"Do you see those stars? There are more than even I could count, and yet I love you more than there are stars in the sky.
Do you see that moon? A thousand years ago, the same moon shone above this land, and a thousand years from now, that same moon will still shine.
My love for you will last like the moon in the sky, for a thousand years and then a thousand more and a thousand again, until my heart stops beating.
And even then I will not stop loving you.
Were something ever to befall me, look up at night, my darling, and remember my love for you, as unmeasurable and eternal as the night sky."
"Nothing is going to happen to you," I whispered. "You are going to grow old by my side, and we'll die together of old age at the same time."
"I wish that were true, I hope it is." Loki replied softly, "but I fear my past is catching up with me rapidly.
I'd love to be able to grow old with you, but since when has fate ever been kind to me?"