"I still don't quite get this. So… Your great-grandfather is THE Mr whippy-frost giant god of everything teeth chattering cold and your grandfather ran off with his little girl." Kari was trying desperately to get to grips with a lackluster retelling of Ymir the frosty king and Bor the prom-night virgin thief, Thor had been telling her over a lot of wine. "Then, Ymir, got daddy with a shotgun angry but your grandfather kicked his butt and somehow your grandmother was ok with that?"

"You twist and turn such interesting fables from my words." Thor was torn between laughing and thinking too deeply.

"No, I think I just see through the wool over your eyes and-" She was cut off as a knock came from the door.

"In!" Thor declared so as to get whatever nuisance waited over quickly.

"It is I, Balder the brave, returned." A man, Balder, entered with an intimidating level of assurance.

"Balder, my friend!" Thor was on his feet, greeting the man in the centre of the room with a colossal amount of bromantic hug and patting. "Come, sit! Join us and recount your wanderings."

"I shall if it so please." He followed the god of thunder back towards the sitting area but paused before taking his own seat with a nod to Kari. "But who is this? I recognize her not from the courtiers."

"That is Fandralkin." Thor was grinning, waiting knowingly for the look of surprise that would befall the warriors features.

"Fandralkin?" Unable to disappoint Thor, Balder's eyes trailed her like a confused penguin.

"Fandral's granddaughter."

"Kari. My name is Kari." She was feeling exacerbated by the name-calling and visual judging by the newcomer.

"I was unaware Fandral the dashing had children." Balder was now deeply curious, having missed something important during his adventures.

"So was he, my friend, until his daughters daughter appeared in our realm from midgard."

"Midgard?"

"Aye, she is of that realm." Thor shrugged as if her mystery were a long lost interest now grown stale and boring. "The allfather decrees her stay and so here she is."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kari Fandralkin." His fist was too his chest, head inclined in a polite bow before Balder took a chair between the two.

"Love the outfit." She blurted out, not entirely sure what to say but having come to the realization when he sat that their clothing oddly matched – purple, blue and grey.

"Thank you." He snorted, noting the same as the god of thunder poured him a drink. "It would appear we are of a similar mind."

"That is true." Thor was suddenly animated with pending tales to tell. "Fandralkin is one of the bravest maiden's I have encountered throughout the nine realms. She has stood up to the god of thunder in combat," Thor leaned in closer to his friend, whilst Kari immediately covered her eyes so as not to see the lies surfacing, "outmatched with the blade and thrown aside many times but such bravery would not stop her from rising against I again. I was forced to forfeit our bout or end her."

"Truly?" She could tell Balder was staring right at her but as long as she could not see him behind her fingers she could believe she were invisible.

"Truly, my friend." Thor was at it again; she could hear the giddy-up glee in the man-child's voice only beginning to reach its peak. "During the feast of Ostara, a great spider of Niffleheim escaped into the palace, ravaged its way through several guards and servants until thwarted by Fandralkin armed only with a tray and her bravery to defend a fallen serving wench."

"Prue, her name is Prue, not 'serving wench'." Kari gritted her teeth as Thor waved off her interruption of his tale telling.

"Some nights passed, Fandralkin dined as my guest at the table of Odin, in celebrating her day of birth," Kari groaned as he continued, this part she really did not want to hear about again – ever, "there was a disagreement between Loki and herself that the allfather made attempt to end but undeterred, Fandralkin instead stood against the king, my father, despite the consequences."

"That was all Loki's fault." She mumbled but ignored by the two gods gossiping.

"Consequences?" Balder seemed perplexed the midgardian was even sharing the same room as him now.

"Father had thought to banish her to some distant and sure death for the insult but was persuaded to a lesser punishment."

"The king's lenience is surprising, especially with his growing frustration of the human race and their continuing defiance of him."

"It is not their defiance but their disbelief that saddens the allfather." Thor corrected. "Fandralkin's defiance is only proof that she at least is not ignorant to his presence."

"You know it's rude to talk about someone like they're not even in the room?" Kari was getting a little frustrated at the god's ignorance herself. "Besides, it's still all your brothers fault."

"Do not fake that you two are not in the midst's of tricksters games." Thor laughed. "My favourite of your counters was when you somehow changed the colour of my brothers hair from black to gold. It was, for a short time, his most attractive appearance."

"We are not 'in the midst's of tricksters games'." She fired back. "Your brother is just a huge dick and I can't outright kill him to make him stop."

"It is dangerous to meddle with Loki." Balder commented, his tone somewhat worried for the weaker midgardian.

"Worry not, Balder." Thor dislodged the warrior's anxiety with an audible slap on the back. "Their jests and tricks appear to be the strange courting of mischievous lovers."

There was a loud 'bang' as Kari stood, simultaneously slamming her half-full cup of wine down on the table besides her. The two men stared in her direction, eyes greeted with her retreating back as she stomped from the room with the added slam of the door. Both frowned, looking to one another for clarification of what they had done to invoke such a display but blissfully ignorant between them.

Wandering aimlessly was getting her nowhere today. She should have been with Thor and Volstagg listening to stories about vanquishing demons but her pride was still a little sore from the Loki teasing the night before. How could he have said that? Implied some sort of sick blossoming romance between herself and that cretin? Not in a million and one years. Wasn't everyone aware that she was into Heimdall anyway? Well, 'was' being the operative word in that statement after what had happened that night with Loki.

She was unable to look at the guardian again, even when she got past the thought of him catching her about to sleep with his doppelganger. On some level she partially blamed him, more so she felt sick at the sight of him as it reminded her of Loki with his hands all over her. It was stupid, she knew but at the same time, Kari felt powerless to stop herself hating them both in unequal measures.

Finally, she had removed the collage of Heimdall's from her wall, last night, at the realization. It had made her feel better, a weight shifting from her shoulders and joining the torn pile of paper on the floor. Of course, she had a cry too and snuck into the kitchen to pilfer cinnamon rolls, in place of chocolate, but that went without saying.

As her thoughts simmered down again, Kari paused at the entrance to Frigga's garden and leaned up against the open archway – careful not to set a foot inside uninvited. It smelt as lovely as ever, perfect blooms in every conceivable space and the gentle trickle of fountains hidden deeper inside. Just the sort of place she longed to curl up in and sleep until all her troubles had passed.

"Kari?" The question startled her but the owner instantly quelled such apprehension with her delicate touch upon Kari's shoulder.

"Uh, yeah, hey Frigga." She smiled back at the asgardian queen, being indicated to follow the woman inside the forbidden zone towards a bench.

"How goes your quest for knowledge?" Frigga sat, placing her small accompaniment of gardening tools besides her.

"Uh… Alright I guess." She shrugged claiming a spot next to the queen. "Fandral is teaching me to wield a sword, but he only makes me do routines so far. Volstagg and Thor are trying to get stories into my head but it's hard to understand them sometimes. They get really carried away with reminiscing at random points and forget where they were up to."

"That is quite normal I assure you." Frigga chuckled at the memories of many years filled with boastful men arguing out stories between them. "Knowledge and understanding will come in time, be patient."

"Hmmm. Yeah."

"What of your final assignment? Magic?"

"Er, that's a no go." Kari suddenly squirmed, her Achilles heel that would no doubt get her banished in the end. "When I spoke to Prue about it, she said that sorcerers were kind of evil and not to talk to them and I can't read any of the books so…"

"You know not the meaning of words?" Frigga seemed a little puzzled but really how was a midgardian suppose to be taught how to read an old god language.

"I tried talking to Loki about it but…" She trailed off, obviously uncomfortable about their last encounter still.

"He was such a sweet boy, he is still, but now caught up in a mans jealousy and fear." Frigga mused, laying a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "They do not like us to know just how weak their hearts truly are."

"I don't think he fears anything."

"I believe he fears everything."

"Hmmm." Kari bit her lip as she mulled the man in questions mother's words over.

"Do not allow yourself to be swept up in your fears."

"I'll try." She felt suddenly apologetic as she came to the conclusion that Frigga was always burdening herself with quelling the other woman's fears.

"Good." Frigga stood, reaching for her tools. "Then come and help me tend the roses and I shall teach you a little the meaning of words."