Whatever hesitation Jane experienced on the drive back to the desert expanse was stifled. She felt as though she was being very silly, very rash. But she had a frivolity about her, a wander lust, and she went with it.

Thor got out of the pickup, his cape whipping about in the breeze...he looked to the sky and beckoned Jane next to him. She swallowed and went over. He looked ridiculous, and she thought for a moment about leaving him there and driving away...she touched the gun stowed at her back.

"Heimdall!" the crazy man yelled, and appeared to be waiting for something. Thor reached for her, and Jane looked up. She meant to look at Thor, but what the sky was doing was infinitely more interesting.

It churned in a mix of black, of violet, of deep indigo, and of white light. Jane's breath caught.

"Oh. My. God. Is that...?"

"Gods, Miss Foster...and that is the Bifrost..."

The light reached for them, and Jane screamed. She felt her feet leave the Earth's floor. She grabbed hold of Thor, and was sucked into the wormhole.

Jane couldn't breathe, and she desperately tried to move her head to see what they were passing on their journey. The pressure was great, and even the most fierce of movement was hindered by their speed.

Suddenly she was thrown forward, crashing onto a marble floor.

A large and imposing man stood above her. Jane smiled, he nodded.

"Well, Heimdall. Odin will be pleased. I found a Midgardian teacher!"

"Very good, my Prince."

"Prince?" Jane turned toward Thor. "You're a Prince?"

"At your service..." and he bowed gallantly.

"Wow."

"Follow me, Miss Foster."

Jane did just that, adjusting her bag. They walked over a glowing bridge...it looked unsafe, there were no barriers to disallow a terrible fall.

And toward a palace they went. She could feel the steady beat of her heart demanding that she rethink this whole thing, but it was far too late for all of that.

"I'll get the All-Father. Wait here," and he left her in what appeared to be a throne room.

Jane sighed heavily, the sound bouncing off of the walls.

Impressive acoustics.

She took it in. Gold was everywhere. There were floor to ceiling windows...large columns which led to a dais where two thrones sat. Jane walked slowly toward the chairs.

"Well, I understand you are Jane Foster," a man spoke, and Jane turned toward the sound. He was old, he had an eye patch, and his voice was distinct.

"I am, yes," and she smiled.

He stopped in front of her. "We are in need of someone to tutor some of our warriors' children whilst we engage in battle on Jutenheim. There are three in your charge..."

"Why not one of your own teachers?" she paused. Perhaps that was rude. "I mean...surely your own are more than qualified..."

Odin turned from her. "Midgard is the realm we as Aesir know the least of...Frigga," and he turned once more toward her. "Believes this will be useful...we, as a race, haven't been on Midgard in many centuries."

"Are you planning an invasion?"

"No...but I think that a time in the very near future will present and Midgard might be utilized for some purposes born of Aesir problems..." a dark look betook his countenance. He sucked in some breath. "Everything will be provided for you, Miss Foster. Clothes, food. You shall stay in the palace," he turned away once more. "The Queen will be the only royal here...the great warriors gone...my sons and myself shall return as soon as we are able."

Jane nodded. "Your sons?"

"You've met Thor..."

"Yes."

"And my son Loki is currently on Jutenheim. He will likely return before Thor and myself..."

At the name, Loki, a shiver went down her spine. "Ok...where is the Queen?"

"You accept the arrangement?"

"Well...yeah. I'm not dumb...only...what will I teach?"

"Frigga will explain it all in the morning," he turned. "Thor! Show Miss Foster to her room." Odin smiled and left without preamble.

Thor side stepped and Jane smiled.

"I've never been in a real palace before..." Jane began, walking alongside Thor. "How long will I be staying?" she imagined a few weeks...

"A year, I think."

"A YEAR?"

Thor laughed. "Well...we aren't certain how long this will take, Miss Foster."

"Jane."

"Jane," he looked at her. "This way..."

All sorts of things began to spring to mind...grants...her equipment...her trailer...her relationship with MIT and NASA. A few weeks, maybe even a month she could explain...but a year?

"Um...a year? Is there any way to cut that short?"

"You're no prisoner, Jane. You may leave at any time..."

Jane nodded. "Ok."

And they approached a wooden door. Thor opened it for her, and smiled. "Here you are...if you require anything, there's a bell on the table just there..."

Jane smiled, and he shut the door.

She turned.

It was a lovely room, and a fire blazed. She walked over and sat on a chair by the fire. She wondered just what it was she had gotten herself into...and the fire turned color...her eyes grew heavy.

Jane.

Her eyes flew open.

She heard a laugh...an insane laugh...and it died into an eerie chuckle.

She'd must've dozed off.

Jane got up and went to the drawers...she procured some warm looking pajamas. She pulled them on and climbed into bed.

She had heard her name...in a man's voice...she was sure of it...her name...and a laugh...a woman's laugh...

And with these thoughts she fell asleep…looking at her gun sitting on the shelf next to the head of her bed.

Frigga was in the dining hall when Jane came downstairs the next morning. She was dressed in a frock (Jane never cared for dresses, but she figured that she had better abide to their customs while in the place), and she bowed when she saw the Queen.

"Queen Frigga?" Jane asked.

"Good morning, Miss Foster. I trust you slept well."

Jane went over and sat down. "Please, call me Jane. And yes…I slept well," she paused. "Though I had an odd dream…I heard a man's voice whisper my name and then a woman laughing…I don't usually have strange dreams, which is why I mention it," she finished, suddenly realizing that it might seem very odd to a Queen to have a stranger retell a dream they had.

But the Queen didn't appear fazed. In fact, if anything, Jane thought that she looked uncomfortable, if only for a fleeting second. "Well, you are in a new place, perhaps it effected your slumber."

Jane nodded. "Well…so you require a teacher? Thor indicated it might be for as long as a year."

Frigga nodded. "Possibly. No one can tell just how long this war with the Frost Giants might last."

"Frost Giants?"

"On Jutenheim."

Jane's face blanched and she swallowed. "There are such things as Frost Giants?"

"There are such things as gods, Jane…" and she smiled. "You've had much to contend with in the past day or so," and she nodded at her.

"Yeah," Jane whispered, ad took a sip of water.

"You may leave at any time, you know. If you are unhappy, if you are uncomfortable…but I do hope that you'll stay at least a short while. You've had the opportunity to meet everyone in my family except for Loki."

At that, Jane looked at her, fixed her eyes to the Queen, for the same chill she had felt when Thor mentioned his brother, she felt again. "Loki? Will there be such an opportunity?"

Frigga noticed the change in her, and smiled, though her eyes squinted ever so slightly. "Loki comes and goes as he pleases. He is a very great sorcerer, the best in the Nine, and a scholar, a traveller…he has a wander lust and a drive to understand such that I've never seen," she paused. "So yes, he was here just a few days ago. He never stays long…but I imagine he will be back here within the month, once things settle, at least momentarily, on Jutenheim."

Jane swallowed. A sorcerer. "Wow. A sorcerer."

Frigga laughed. "He is a troubled soul, Jane, but he has a heart, and if one is diligent, one can unearth the many wonders of it," and for the first time she seemed to be looking at Jane with a hint of respect, even admiration…and something else, though Jane couldn't name it. "Well…shall we see to your charges?"

Jane nodded and rose. "How old are the children?"

"18, 25, and 27."

She stopped. Jane was only a few years older than the oldest. "27?"

"Well…they aren't 27 in Midgard years…I imagine they will look and behave as though they are about 10 years younger than they actually are here."

"Oh…what should I teach them?"

Frigga smiled and stopped at the French doors leading out into the garden. "Whatever you know. We have plenty of Midgardian books here…literature, science…whatever you think would help them to understand your realm better. As Aesir, we are intimately acquainted with most of the Nine…but I have convinced Odin that our future courtiers and armies should possess intimate knowledge of these places…it shall make them sympathetic to individual plight."

Jane nodded and followed Frigga out into the garden, where she heard some people talking.

"Good morning, dears! This is Lady Jane Foster, and she will be teaching you for the time being…"

The three children stopped what they were doing and turned to Jane.

She had to admit, they didn't exactly look like they were 18, 25, and 27. More like 6, 12, and maybe 15…?

"This is Adriel…" and the youngest came forward, a lovely little girl, and bowed. "This is Seth…" and the 25 year old boy with striking blonde hair and a wide smile walked to her. "And this is Torben…" and the oldest came over. He was tall, with darker hair than the two, and had a bit of a cloud around his eyes.

Jane smiled at them all. "Well, its a pleasure to meet you all. You may call me…" and she looked to Frigga. The Queen mouthed "Lady," and Jane nodded. "Lady Jane…I think that we should spend some time getting to know one another first…" and she clapped her hands together…

Jane watched as Frigga left, and she listened to the children explain how their parents were off to war in Jutenheim. They were staying at the palace, the only ones who were of the warriors, because of their parents' position in the royal army, and because both parents were off fighting. They all liked being at the castle, but Adriel was a bit frightened, though she didn't really expound on it.

Jane laughed with them all, but found herself particularly drawn to Torben. He seemed a bit tortured, a bit sad…very sarcastic, and very protective of the younger two, especially Adriel.

"Don't worry yourself, Adriel. If anything attempts to harm you…I shall slay it with my sword," Torben said, responding to her fear.

"Do you know how to use a sword, Torben?" Jane asked.

"Of course."

"Then you'll need to teach me…I've never used one."

Torben's chest suddenly puffed with pride. "The Princes taught me themselves. Prince Thor often will teach the students, but I showed such skill that Prince Loki helped me as well."

"Wow," Jane said, and an uneasy feeling descended upon her as she noted the chill once more at the mention of Loki. She couldn't account for it.

They spent the afternoon in the garden, laughing and sharing stories of Asgard, eating their lunches and talking about what Jane would be sharing about Midgard.

"Well…" began Jane. "It's nearly dinner, I think…it's time we go inside…"

The foursome rose and Jane followed them. They quickly scattered to their rooms, and Jane decided to seize the opportunity to walk about the place.

She wandered through vast corridors adorned with paintings, most of which were vibrant. She entered a few rooms which held many lavish furnishings, and she could only surmise that they were all sitting rooms of various sorts. She noted how all of the doors were huge, wooden, and quite heavy; the windows were all quite large, bathing the rooms in vibrant light.

She went upstairs to change out of her clothes and wash after being outside all day when she noticed a particular room's door was slightly ajar.

Jane thought this was odd, since all of the rooms she had encountered were either firmly shut or else wide open.

She went over to it, noting that this part of the corridor was slightly more dark than the rest.

She pushed the door open, and discovered that it was empty of any person, but it was a grand room, in an understated way, if that is possible.

There were books all along the far wall, a rather large bed … and to Jane's right, an impressive bank of windows. There was a fireplace with chairs set out before it. She went to the books, unable to quell her curiosity, and began to examine them. She had never seen so many books in a bedroom, and she began to wonder whose room this was. She scanned the place…silver and green were the primary colors…though gold and black, and bits of blue could be spied.

She observed that while she should be uncomfortable in this capacity, she wasn't…in fact, the place was rather welcoming.

Jane decided that she should leave. The Queen was likely wondering where she was.

She made her way to her quarters, a fair distance from the book laden bedroom, and she readied herself.

After dinner, Jane was sipping wine with Frigga, at the Queen's request. She was feeling bold, the wine making her heady and unreserved.

"Your majesty…" Jane began.

"Oh, call me Frigga, Jane. We shall be good friends, I foresee…"

"Thank you, Frigga…I was upstairs earlier. I came upon a room…the door was slightly open…and so I went inside. It looked like a library, but there was a bed there…so I assume it wasn't, but there were certainly enough books to be called such."

Frigga's look was indiscernible. "A bedroom with books, you say?"

"Yes."

"Was there green…?"

"Yes."

"And the door, you say, was slightly ajar?"

Jane cleared her throat. "Yes…but I didn't…"

"No. Of course you didn't, dear. That was likely Loki's bedroom…"

Jane didn't respond.

But a shadow fell upon the Queen, and a pensive glance stole along her features.

Jane took notice of her change in demeanor, and excused herself, declaring herself tired and wanting to prepare for tomorrow.

She made her way upstairs.

Jane lit a fire and sank into the chair beside it. Her room was small in comparison to much of the palace, but cozy…and it boasted a lovely view of the garden.

She wondered at the door to the Prince's room…she wondered at the Queen's change in mood…but most of all, she wondered at her reaction to this Prince…she had never met him, yet her person reacted to his mention as though she did…

And she felt comfortable in his bedroom.

And the Queen was not comfortable with her there…

And as she fell asleep, she dreamed of virescent fields, of a silver lake, of cerulean eyes, of aged books with fraying spines…of a looming figure…of a laugh which made her skin prickle…and when she woke the fire was long out.

She got up and crawled into bed.