Melting His Icy Heart
Chapter 6
Thor took them both directly to Asgard's healers who laid Jane on a strange table that showed a holographic projection of her body, which seemed to fascinate Jane's scientific mind.
"What's that?"
"Be still."
"This is not of Earth. What is it?"
"We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her."
Andrea gave Thor a fearful, sickened look and he wrapped an arm around her in comfort. She whispered into his ear what happened while she and Jane were, invisible to Heimdall and he frowned in confusion.
"That's a Quantum Field Generator isn't it?"
"It's a soul forge."
"Does a soul forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"
"Yes."
The healer seemed surprised that Jane could know that, but Jane just gave Thor a smile and whispered.
"Quantum Field Generator."
He gave her a soft smile in return and Andrea couldn't help her own smile at seeing them together. A voice from behind them made Andrea turn, looking confused at first until she saw the eye patch and realized who this new male must be and scowled at him. He seemed taken aback for a moment at the venom in her gaze.
"My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?"
"She's ill."
"She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait."
"I brought her here because we can help her."
"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table."
"Did he just…"
"You son of a…"
Andrea and Jane both took offence at the insult and began to speak, Thor was wise enough to quickly cover Andrea's mouth before she could finish her statement. Jane, however, was unimpeded.
"Who do you think you are?"
"I am Odin, King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms."
"Oh. Well I'm…"
"I know very well who you are, Jane Foster."
"You told your dad about me?"
Andrea bit Thor's hand and he let her go with a short yelp of surprise.
"You've done a fabulous job so far King."
Thor gave Andrea a look of warning before speaking himself.
"Something is within her, Father. Something I have not seen before."
"Her world has it's healers. They are called doctors. Let them deal with it."
"They can't you arrogant little…"
Thor once again put a hand over Andrea's mouth, earning him a vicious kick to the shin.
"Guards, take her back to Midgard."
"No, I would not…"
As a guard went to grab Jane the strange power burst from her body again. Thor shielded Andrea from it but she still felt the darkness of it crawl across her skin for a moment.
"…touch her."
Thor ran to Jane's side again, Andrea moving next to him with a worried look.
"Jane are you alright?"
"Yeah."
Her response was a weak whisper and Andrea felt her concern growing. Odin moved over and began to look at her arm.
"Oh now he's interested…"
"It's impossible…"
"The infection…It's defending her."
Thor contradicted the healer.
"No…It's defending itself."
"Come with me."
Andrea gave Odin another dark look.
"You could at least say please…asking nicely when you want something is called manners. As a king you should know that."
Odin levelled a one-eyed glare at her but after dealing with Fury and Loki he didn't really scare her. He lead them to another room and lifted a large book onto a table before telling them a story about the beginning of the universe and dark elves. He told them of their leader, Malekith, and something he created called the Aether.
"After eternities of bloodshed my father Bor finally triumphed, ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years."
"What happened?"
"He killed them all."
"Are you certain? The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them and yet here it is."
"The dark elves are dead."
"Does you book happen to mention how to get it out of me?"
"No. It does not."
"Then it seems to be fairly useless to me."
"You should learn to curb your tongue mortal."
"And you should learn some manners…and some better parenting skills while you're at it."
Thor once again attempted to get Andrea to hush but the source of her anger was right in front of her and she'd be damned if she held her tongue now.
"Thor, take you mortal outside for some fresh air. I'm sure it will do her some good. I wish to speak more with this one."
"My name is Andrea."
"Yes Father."
Thor lead Jane outside, leaving Andrea alone with a man she very much disliked. He began walking to the Throne room and she followed him as he spoke to her.
"Why did my son bring you here?"
"Several reasons. He didn't want to make me angry, and he knows I want to speak to you, and he knows I care deeply for someone here."
"You do not belong here. You may say what you wish and then you will leave Asgard at once."
"I will do no such thing. Jane is like a sister to me and I will not abandon her here when she needs my support most."
"You will do as you are told girl."
"I will not take orders from you. You are not my king."
"I am the kind of this realm, and the protector of the other eight. I am also Thor's father and if you care for him you will do as I say."
Her anger spiked and flames erupted along her body, silencing everyone in the Throne room. She didn't even know when they had gotten there, but she knew she had an audience now…not that she cared.
"You dare to call yourself a father when you so easily and carelessly cast away one of your sons! You have always favored Thor over Loki haven't you? I know you have because I've listened to their stories from childhood. You favored Thor and berated Loki. You hid his true birth from him, allowed him to be alienated for using magic and brains over brawn, and let him grow up believing frost giants were mindless monsters."
"You dare to yell at a King?"
"You're damn right I dare! Do you even know what happened to him after he fell from the Bifrost? Do you even care? I doubt it. He fell into the hands of a titan named Thanos who tortured him and took control of his mind. What happened in New York was not something Loki wanted to have happen. He did everything he could to warn us without letting Thanos know what he was trying to do. Then he finally gets free of the blasted thing and comes home and you…Ugh! No wonder I hate the very idea of fathers. You're no better than mine was…hell you might even be worse than him."
"Loki committed a major crime."
"One for which he was not responsible! You want to know who figured out that he was being controlled? I did. I realized that when that infernal staff was taken from him that his eyes changed color from a sickeningly bright blue to a paler green. His own brother couldn't see it, was so ready to believe that Loki was evil despite his love for his brother. I could feel the poison in that staff trying to get to me, I could see the pain and hurt in Loki's eyes. His malicious insults changed once the staff was away from him...they became a more playful teasing. When I got hurt he healed me, protected me, and took me to a place I was safer in…I didn't stay there but that's beside the point. When the Chitauri were finally stopped the look on his face was relief."
Odin gave her a hard, angry glare but before he could speak a softer voice sounded from the side of the throne room.
"You defend my son so fiercely."
"Queen Frigga. I am honored to meet you."
Andrea gave a curtsy in respect for the regal woman in front of her, making Odin scowl at her. From Thor and Loki's stories she knew this woman cared deeply and equally for both her sons, and that was something that earned her respect immediately.
"Frigga will do just fine dear. You are quite a wonder to behold child. Such fire in you…both in spirit and in magic."
"She cannot stay…"
"Of course she can. I am claiming her as my personal guest. Come child, let us go and find Thor and Lady Jane shall we?"
Andres gave the queen a bright smile and they left the Throne room, heading out onto the terrace where Thor and Jane were having a close moment.
"My father, doesn't know everything."
"Don't let him hear you say that."
Andrea chuckled softly, gliding down the steps behind Frigga in a light airy lavender gown the woman had insisted she wear. She could see that Thor had gotten Jane something more appropriate to wear as well.
"Jane Foster, please meet Frigga Queen of Asgard, and my mother."
Jane pulled back from Thor as though she'd been burnt, looking highly embarrassed. Andrea just shook her head with a soft smile, her admiration for the queen only growing stronger. As she laid Jane's concerns to rest, assuring her that she was happy to see Thor happy. She clearly didn't care if her son loved a mortal from Midgard, she only cared that he was happy.