Hello readers! I hope all of you are doing better than the people are in this story. *grimaces*

If you have ever left a review on my story, thank you!

And, s specific shout to:

breannakyle520

Silvermane1

Anne (guest)

for reviewing on my last chapter! It made my world!

Thor's face rested in a resigned scowl as he watched the guards patrol the perimeter of the palace. They looked very similar to Asgardian soldiers, but with slightly different armor. It shone bronze and silver, rather than gold.

The Warriors had wanted to be with him, but he'd sent them away. His mortal friends left him to grieve. They were rather struck themselves. He knew Hawkeye still partially blamed himself for what happened and now he would blame himself for this.

Thor did not know if the Jotuns had left Loki to die when he arrived, or if they had played a vicious part in it. But, if he ever found out that it was the latter, he would use the Bifrost to destroy Jotunheim himself.

Him and Odin hadn't said anything to each other yet. When Hena had finally withdrawn to private with her parents, they'd all parted ways. Thor had returned to the castle to seek his father, but found that the others didn't know where he was either.

He hoped Thanos came. He hoped he brought any army and started a war. Right now, Thor felt he could destroy a whole battalion, even without his hammer.

But the anger would come and go. The feeling that lingered was absolute guilt. He'd let his younger brother down. And not just in letting him die on Jotunheim, but in everything leading up to that. Loki had fallen from the Bifrost because of him. He'd allied himself with Thanos because of him. He'd turned away from his entire family because of him. All for the want of validation. Because Loki felt he could never be enough just being who he was.

"Thor."

The God of Thunder turned to the voice, eyebrows creased slightly. Svleiva walked over to him, almost as if approaching her own child. Gentleness and kindness graced her features.

"I wanted to come and offer you peace." she said, extending one hand and Thor was reminded that she possessed the same ability to create emotion just like Hena could. Then she lowered her hand "But, first, I can see what you're pondering. It might be best to say it aloud. If you feel comfortable doing so."

Thor stared at her for a moment and then sighed.

"I am not sure what I can say. The events...happened so quickly." he averted his gaze "We did not imagine that doing something other than what Loki told us to do would lead to his death. He likely knew this the whole time. He came back to us, in spite of everything he could have gained by staying with Thanos. Because he wasn't truly evil. He never was. From birth until death. And I..." Thor's voice nearly caught in his throat. He looked down briefly "I fear that Loki died still believing that Odin did not care for him. That I did not love him."

"Loki knew you loved him, Thor." Svleiva said tenderly "You showed him absolute forgiveness. You showed him kindness and remorse for everything that happened to him. You wanted to change. To make amends. And you kept trying even when he rejected you. He saw that willingness. He knew." she glanced behind her solemnly "I can't profess to understand Loki and Odin's conflict. I know where it stems from, but I wish they would have had the willingness to relinquish their pride. Odin feels the weight of that now. And he fears the same as you. Of Loki truly not knowing of his love."

Thor blinked once at the ground and one tear fell.

"Have you talked to him?" he asked "My father?"

Svleiva shook her head lightly "No. But, I felt his pain. Others may have been surprised, but I was not. He raised Loki. He cared for him. He held him when he cried as a babe. Loki's hands would reach for comfort as a child and they would often find Odin. But your father had to push this aside to fulfill his duty as king. I do not blame him for this. Valder may, but I do not know what other way it could have been. Less harsh, more forgiving perhaps. Odin loved his Loki." Now Svleiva grew emotional, her voice fading "His gentle son. His clever boy. Not the one Thanos created. He always would have grieved Loki. Even if he had followed your law and put him to death. He grieved him when he was lost, but the Loki that came back was not the one he lost. He only recently found that Loki again." Svleiva shrugged, eyes glistening with tears "His son died for redemption. And he'll never get to see the product of his actions."

Thor swallowed, the same sense of nearly unbearable remorse washing over him again.

"I have given your father a feeling of peace. I have come to offer the same to you now. Not to turn away your grief, but to help you stay focused on what we must to do avenge Loki's death."

Thor exhaled. Part of him wanted that. But part of him needed to feel the burning anger he felt for Thanos. Loki had been tortured, not once, but twice at his hands. And had endured it without any support both times. Thor wasn't sure if he would have been able to do the same and still come out as rational as Loki had. In fact, he knew he wouldn't have.

Svleiva simply waited for him to finish his thoughts without pressing him into a decision.
The God of Thunder finally exhaled "I will accept it. Thank you."

Svleiva nodded and moved to take his hand.

"Did you do the same for Hena?" he asked, expecting a certain answer.

To his surprise though, the queen shook her head sadly.

"Our power will not work on one another. But she will use this to fuel her. She has little inclination for violence. It will be of aid. You and your father were raised in far more violence. You will need peace more than anger."

Hena slowly began to unwind a long wrap of silk fabric from around the object in her hand. She did it with narrowed eyes until she uncovered a very long dagger. It was so thin at the top that it was hard to see from certain angles. The blade was pure silver and the handle was made of both gold and an Anaheimien metal. It was magically enhanced to make it lighter than it should be.

Hena carefully set it down and then began to fold the silk. One of the guards in the room walked over and held out a hand for it. She glanced up at them before handing it up with a quiet 'thank you.'

As she stood up, the man took her place and neatly folded up the fabric. He placed it in the beautiful chest before closing it and standing back up.

Hena carefully picked the knife back up. She stared at it, letting out a deep sigh. She'd been given this by her mother when she was fairly young. The story had been that if Svleiva had carried this when she went to Vormir, she may have been able to prevent herself from ever being afflicted by the curse that caused her so much pain. Of course, that had only been the story. There was no way to know if her carrying such a weapon would have done anything as Hena did not know what actually happened to her mother.

Adden watched her as she sheathed the blade in a metal cover, keeping it carefully gripped.

"Do you want your other blades sharpened?" he asked, waiting by the door for her. Hena looked in his direction before beginning to walk over.

"Yes. Thank you, Adden, that would be appreciated." she said quietly, joining him as they left the room.

He escorted her down the hall in silence, one hand on the hilt of his word. He observed anyone who passed, making sure that none of them were going to take a random assault on the princess. The guards were on high alert, particularly after hearing of Red Skull impersonating Hawkeye.

"Are you doing alright?" he asked gently, watching a few of the men under his command pass. Then he looked over at her.

"No." Hena replied shortly, doing her best to remain stoic. She was numb at the moment and wanted to keep it that way. But her eyes held back tears nonetheless. The soldiers had been informed that the second son of Odin no longer lived. She would not be able to handle any insensitive and idiotic questions from any of them.

"I'm sorry. That was a foolish question." Adden said apologetically "May I help you in anyway?"

Hena shook her head, immediately feeling bad for being cold with him. He had always been one of her closest friends, but she had withdrawn from him in the last decade or so. He had never tried to pressure her in anyway, but she knew he would enjoy courting her. If she had never met Loki, she may have eventually married him. But, she could not look past what she had lost. So, she shook her head to his question.

"Where shall I escort you?" he asked.

"Do you know where my mother is?"

Adden nodded "She is with the maids. Do you want the healing rooms?"

Hena nodded in return, averting her eyes.

####

Valder walked with the leaders from their neighboring realm down the hall. They were heading towards the entrance to the palace where he would send them back home. Of the realms in this space of the universe, Anaheim was the only one that maintained an army about as big as Asgard's. Like Anaheim, the others were peaceful, but they were almost neutral to a lethal point. They didn't believe they should ever need to fight and therefore did not all prepare accordingly. Although Valder hated Thanos with every fiber of his being, he couldn't help but realize that many realms would not be that difficult to overtake. And the inhabitants captured. However blunt that may be.

But, there were some with wise kings and queens who kept soldiers conditioned for war. They were very willing to help when the time came.

As they exited the castle, Valder looked to the left and saw Odin walking back the way they had come. He said farewell to his guests there and turned to the Allfather. They followed his gaze and, with surprised expressions, exchanged respectful nods with the king of Asgard. Then, they continued on their way and let Valder on his.

This was the first time he had seen Odin in several hours, but he didn't speak as they traveled back into the palace. He needed to discuss whether or not they should have the other realms waiting here for battle or not. There was no way of knowing how soon Thanos would be coming or if they would be able to reach Asgard in before that. But, Valder didn't bring this up right then.

"When we are able, we should travel to Jotunheim to get his body for a proper send off. Assuming it is still there." he said quietly instead.

"Yes, I intended to do so." Odin replied.

"Then may we join you?" Valder asked directly.
It was silent, but the Allfather nodded without looking at him.

"What are your intentions for the frost giants?" Valder queried "Retribution?"

"I will find out what part they played. It is possible that the toxin Thanos gave him had multiplicative properties. It was not familiar to me. It may not have been possible to save him without an antidote. If I find that the Jotuns assisted in his death, then yes, they will have retaliation upon them."

"Do you believe they did?" Valder asked solemnly.

"Yes, I believe that was the case. They'll be heard first, but I do not think Loki should have succumbed to a poison so fast. And his injuries, though barbaric and cruel, should not have taken him for at least a week from this day. Something was amiss."

Thor finally approached his friends after many hours avoiding them. When they saw him, everyone immediately straightened, or stood up entirely. Sif stared at him with particular graveness.

"Has my father come here yet?" he asked, slowly slightly as he neared.

Volstagg shook his head first, making the Prince exhale quietly.

"I am going to speak to Valder and Svleiva." he said. It was just a statement to inform them where he was going, but they took it as a conversation starter.

"Why?" that was Fandral first. The God of Thunder sounded as though he had a specific purpose.

Thor pulled a piece of paper from his armor and held it out to his friends. It had very neat and precise words written on it. Fandral's chin rose in realization.

"Loki asked me to get this to them. I want them to know about it. They may have it here and he said it would help them." Thor replied "He had not asked me to do something for him in a long time. So, it is going to get done. Whether I have to wait until I get to Asgard or it's here, I need to get this book for them."

Fandral nodded at the ground slowly. As his friend left, the Warrior looked at the others morosely.

"Thor." Volstagg said, his voice fading off at the end, making the prince look back.

"I'm so sorry." his friend said sadly.

Thor blinked, his eyes flicking up as he breathed in. But instead of telling his friend that it was alright, he simply nodded.

"I am too."

"Why is everyone so sad?" Mazi asked, leaning against her father with a very forlorn gaze. He was holding her as they waited for Svleiva to come from the healing chamber. She was there at least once a day so they could perform spells and provide healing charms to hopefully subdue the curse as long as possible. They also did frequent blood letting to examine the health of the baby and the queen. She couldn't stop her visits to the healers, even with all of the chaos around them. But she did so without drawing attention.

Valder did his best to be with her at each one, but when the others arrived he had failed to accompany her the last few days. So, today, he was waiting for her outside to remind her that he knew very well what she was humbly enduring.

"Everyone is sad, but no one is saying why." Mazi continued glumly. Her head rested on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his neck.

Valder was gently rocking the from side to side, despite his little girl being much older than the baby he once held. At their feet, there actually was a cat. She belonged to Mazi and as such, the princess carried the animal around whenever she was upset. Hena actually had one as well, but that cat was a lot harder to track down.

"We're trying to make sure the realm is safe. There are some bad beings that we're trying to keep away from us as well as other realms." he replied, keeping it as simple as possible.

"But, then why are you sad?" Mazi still sounded on the verge of tears "Is it Loki? He is the only one who hasn't come yet. Did the bad beings get him?"

Valder paused briefly, lips tightening. She was too smart for them to evade the answer much longer.

"When your mother comes out, we'll explain." he replied gently. He carefully let her slide down to the floor "For now, I think you should go and play with the other children from Midgard. This may be their only time to be here."

"Can I take them to see the horses in the riding pasture?" Mazi asked, looking up at him earnestly.

Valder nodded "Absolutely. I think they are with their mother in the dining hall."

The princess hopped to a run and within a few moments she was gone, with the cat on her tail. The king watched briefly before turning back to the door silently. The visits were usually done within a half hour and it was nearly that now. So far, this child was completely healthy, but Hena had appeared that way at first too.

He continued to wait until finally the door opened and his wife came out. He immediately stepped forward to give her a kiss and Svleiva actually jumped, eyebrows up in surprise as he pulled back.

"How is everything?" he asked "I haven't been around to tend to you. I'm sorry."

"There have been a lot of pressing matters, you are far forgiven." Svleiva said with a smile that still suggested she was happy he was there "The baby is doing well still. No health complications and she is well developed and continuing to grow at a normal pace."

"Did they say anything for long term?" Valder ventured.

Svleiva shook her head "They cannot predict that. We just have to continue to pray that she will be minimally affected."

"Mazi was healthier than Hena when she was born. Perhaps this will be the same pattern." Valder replied.

"That is my hope. That we don't lose another." Svleiva said quietly.

He took her hand gently and waited a few moments before speaking.

"It isn't your fault. You've done nothing but try to protect and love all of our children."

"My body isn't strong enough for them. To give them what they need." Svleiva replied.

"No. It is. This ailment from Vormir is the hindrance."

"Then how many more must we lose?" she asked sadly.

"None. I won't let that happen again." Valder resolved.

The queen shook her head "No, you cannot put yourself at risk like that again. Will I lose my husband if not my children? No, we will seek help elsewhere. Asgard perhaps."

Valder's face tightened ever so slightly and Svleiva sighed.

"What is this ire in you? Why are you so opposed to seeking help from them?"

"I will not go to Asgard for help like so many other realms do."

"You know this is not the case. They give willingly. Asgard is not the problem to you. I know this because you wanted to seek peace with them. To have an alliance." she touched his chest gently "You don't want to feel as though you cannot protect our family on your own. I understand. But you are everything to me and your daughters. Accepting Asgard's help won't change that."

"I know it won't." Valder assured her.

"Odin would help us. He's kind. And he is generous. He hurts for Loki and would not want us to grieve as he is." she paused "They may not have something to help us, but I have to know for sure. I want this daughter, Valder. She is strong and she will fight. I can sense her spirit. Gentle like Hena and Mazi, but she has Hena's kindness and Mazi's energy. She needs to come and join our family here.

They both looked up as a sudden alarm rang outside the palace.

"The north." Valder said, putting one hand around his wife to keep her close as they walked quickly down the hall.

Thor frowned, turning around several times to see where the alarm was coming from. He still didn't quite know his way around the castle palace, but fortunately a group of guards turned the corner on the direction he was heading.

"What's happened?" he asked, quickening his pace to catch up to them "Are there invaders?"

Firo, the king's man in charge of battle preparation, was the one leading the group. He glanced back at the prince quickly.

"We are not sure. It's coming from the north part of the realm. We have patrols set up everywhere. They would not raise the alarm for anything less than an attack. It may be minor, but we are securing the palace now."

"There are men lined up in front of the weapon vault." Thor turned to see Odin approaching. He let out a relieved breath at finally seeing his father.

"Come, Thor, we'll likely be needed on the battlefield." the king said, walking past his son.

"I do not have my hammer." Thor said.

"You learned your fighting skills alongside Loki before you ever received Mjolnir." Odin replied "If you've forgotten that, then it was probably for the best that you lost her for the time being."

"Our king and queen will travel to the main hall." Firo said, speaking of the room they had first teleported to after their escape from Thanos.

"We'll meet them there. Send a guard to report what has happened." Odin replied. The soldier nodded and he and his men quickly headed off into the next hallway.

"Is Anaheim ready to fight a battle this large?" Thor asked, keeping up with his father's incredibly fast pace.

"No." Odin responded "But, we have several surprises we will put into play if the war turns quickly."

"I'm going to kill Thanos. With my bare hands." Thor growled. The titan had let Loki die without so much as a blink. He'd never given a damn about the God of Mischief. And he had wanted Loki to think that of everyone else.

"We all will." Odin said, turning the corner. A few moments later, they entered the hall. Valder and Svleiva were indeed waiting. Hena was there with them. They'd just sent for the Warriors and everyone else.

"Trouble?" Odin asked, staring right at the king.
The room dimmed suddenly and Valder looked up at the slits in the ceiling. The sky had noticeably darkened. But there were no clouds in sight.

"I feel so." Valder replied grimly "Our men are prepared."

Hena looked at Thor briefly before flicking her eyes away. She looked nervous, but more than ready to get fighting.

He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness as he watched the princess. Subconsciously, he made a vow that he wasn't going to leave her side. He owed that to Loki.

"Valder." Svleiva said with sudden urgency. She stepped back and he immediately moved in front of both her and Hena as he peered at the figure standing near the entrance of the palace. Thor jerked to sudden attention, eyes wide.

"Stand down before you lose your life." Valder said warningly. He didn't hold a weapon, but something told Thor he didn't necessarily need one for fighting.

"No, father, that's..." Hena stared with a gaze wide enough to see everything in a mile radius.

"I'm here to harm no one." the person said, sounding relatively amused "Except perhaps Thanos and his followers."

Valder blinked in recognition as Odin stepped forward in shock.

"The walls between us are ever thin, my husband." she said with her eyes on the Asgardian king.

The woman was transparent and glowed a bright white, but nevertheless, it was Frigga.