Chapter 15

Kari glared at the far wall, her anger still flaring through her. He forgot, her parents died on their way home from visiting them and he forgot. 'Nothing important' he had said. Loki had not been on realm and he knew, there was no excuse. She was glad she went to Eir. The healer was shocked at her request, but after the new queen explained her reasons, the healer nodded and gave her the concoction she would require.

"Perhaps it is for the best for now." Eir smiled sadly.

"I think you right." Kari agreed.

"Take it with your next meal and it will take effect immediately. Even with that meal, should there be reason to be concerned."

"Thank you, for this, and for your ear."

"I am a healer Your Majesty, and not all wounds are physical." Eir explained with a smile, before she turned to her first aide. "Prepare the bandages for prince Loki." She ordered. The aide nodded and rushed off to do as she was requested.

"Loki requires bandages?" Kari frowned.

"Yes your Majesty. He has some injuries from his time away that require some tending too."

"I see, well no better place to get that care. If he is due, then I shall take my leave. To say he said nothing in front of the family means he does not wish for us to know." She took her vial and went to leave. "Ooh! Sorry." She collided with Loki just outside the door.

"I see you are finished, Thor will be relieved." Loki grinned as he assisted Kari in straightening up again.

"Thor knew you were coming here?" Loki nodded. She looked around the hallway and noted no sign of her husband. "And he did not follow you?"

"I offered for him to come, but he declined."

"Really? I cannot imagine father dearest being too pleased with that."

"I think it nearly killed him." Loki grinned even more.

"Good." Kari snapped coldly. "They are ready for you anyway. You never mentioned your injuries to me."

Loki leant in close to her ear and whispered. "In my defence, I was too preoccupied with other things."

Kari bit her lips together as the memories flooded back to her again. "I guess I can forgive you."

"I knew you would my darling. Will I see you again tonight after Thor's momentous screw up?"

Kari sighed. "I assume he will do as he always does and attempt to make it up to me, in which case I will be forced to endure his apologies for the evening."

"And then lie with him." Loki swallowed hard, his tone bitter.

Kari left out a cold bark of a laugh. "Not any time in the near future. I do not trust him any longer, so I am not risking him touching me. Besides, why would I want him when I have you." She bit the side of her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled up at him coyly.

"You little minx." He leant in close. "I better leave you for now my love."

"He has the ravens on us, doesn't he?"

"They have been released and are on their way." Loki confirmed.

"I would kill them only I wish for them to feast on his corpse."

Loki's eyes widened and he pulled back to look at Kari, whose usually beautiful face was filled with hatred. "My, my, I do not think you have ever been as desirable as you are at present my love." He kissed her quickly. "Until next time." She kissed him in return, before walking away.

Kari saw Huginn and Muninn fly around the corner above her as she turned to head to her chambers. She tried to control her hatred for their master, but every day that proved harder and harder to do. It was inevitable that it would all come to a head between them all sooner or later; she only hoped that when it did, she and Loki would still have one another.

When Kari reached her shared quarters with Thor, she sighed. Truthfully she did not want to go in, but knew she would have to face him. So rather than delaying the inevitable, she walked in, only to see that her husband was nowhere to be found. "Thor?" At that moment, her handmaid came out of the bathroom. "Helena, where is my husband?"

"I have not seen him today." The maid admitted.

"Odd." Usually when Thor messed up, he did something for her. "I will eat alone here tonight, if any of the family sends someone to ask as to my whereabouts, tell them I am ill until tomorrow with a potion from Eir, understood?"

Helena looked at her employer in shock. "Of course." She bowed. "Are you ill Your Majesty?"

"No, but they need not know that."

"Ands what if his Majesty looks for you?"

"Tell him I am…" Kari shrugged. "Tell him the truth, but also that I am occupied with other matters, but that I am here none the less."

Helena cocked her head slightly, but nodded, not wanting to disobey her queen. Kari went into her dressing room and chose an older dress, changing quickly she grabbed what she needed and went into the small reading room that she and Thor tended to eat and play chess in and got on the floor. She knew it was most undignified for a queen to sit on the floor with no shoes and an old dress to go drawing, but after the day she had, she did not care. Loki's return had reignited her love of art, and she could not contain it. Queen or not, this would be hers as Frigga had her seidr and her flowers. She began to just allow herself draw, and soon she was smiling happily as she became more engrossed at what it was she was creating.

Thor had thought of everything to see what would be a good way to make it up to Kari for what he said. He had called back the courtiers and the people that required his judgement, and dealt with their needs, so that he would be able to be with her as she mourned the loss of her parents the following day. How could he have forgotten, it was after her parents deaths that Kari began to sleep against him more naturally, as though she thought him the only thing she had left worth losing. As the people argued their cases, he thought over what he could do. So new into his reign, he could not just up and leave his people to take her away for a few days.

Then it came to him. They had not dealt with their Light Elf friends in so long; he could arrange a royal visit to them and use it to spend time with her. King Fredrick was close friends with Thor and Loki growing up, and both men had ascended the throne in a relatively short time of one another, they would be expected to meet soon regardless, so why not arrange it to be very soon indeed. So he ordered a messenger to Alfheim, asking that the other king would meet with him with regards simply confirming both were happy with their agreements, yet knowing full well that Queen Anya was heavy with child and would not be able to travel, so that he and Kari would have to travel to them, and perhaps speaking with Anya would cause Kari to reconsider their not having a child.

He had planned on telling Kari at dinner, but she never arrived, his mother sent a maid to look for her, but according to her own handmaid, she was ill from the potion. He noticed Loki brow raise as his father again expressed his anger at Kari's disregard for her duties, but again he silenced him, causing Odin to rise from the table and walk off. But also earning comendment from Loki at growing some balls, and an approving look from his mother.

He wondered if Kari would be as proud when he saw her. Opening the door he walked in to see Helena and Leila, his wife's maids sitting and talking with his hand servant. On seeing their king, they all rose. "Where is my wife? Is she resting?"

"Not exactly sire." Stefan stated.

"Explain." When the servant looked to Helena, Thor's gaze followed.

"She told me to tell any of the other staff that came that she was ill, but in truth she simply remained here, actually in the other room." Helena pointed to the door behind which the queen was drawing. "I informed her that the dinner she stated she would have here arrived, but she has not left the room."

Thor looked at the food on the tray in front of him. "Why not put it at the table?"

"She told me not to come in your Majesty." Helena was becoming scared that she had done the wrong thing.

"Did my wife tell you to tell me everything?" Helena nodded. "Thank you. You are all dismissed until I call upon you again." He smiled kindly. The staff bowed and began to leave as Thor took the tray and walked over to the door. "Kari?"

"I'm busy."

"I sent the staff away."

"Fine." Her voice was distracted.

"Your food arrived."

"Fine."

"Kari, whatever it is you are doing, it can wait until after you have eaten." Thor insisted.

"I am not hungry."

"But you must eat. Please my love."

Kari shuddered on hearing Thor call her those words. She knew he meant them as much as Loki did when he uttered them, but the difference was, she returned the sentiment to Loki. He had been right, she was only fooling herself by thinking she loved Thor. She had all but forced her mind to accept his love for her and insisted to it that she returned the sentiments, but with Loki's return, she knew it was not through. "Fine, give me a moment to tidy up."

"The maids can do that."

"No!" Kari looked around her at her mess. "No, I'll do it myself." She began to tidy, but as she placed the final piece of paper into its rightful place, Thor opened the door.

He looked at the floor, littered in pencils and then to his wife, her hair hanging loosely from a hair tie, her dress too large for her, had she lost weight? And on her skin, marred with grey glistening where she had accidentally smudged lead from the pencils onto her cheeks. "Kari."

"I know I look like I was dragged backwards through a bush."

"You look more beautiful and happy than I have seen you in a long time." Thor smiled. "You are drawing again."

"Yes, I just don't know why it is back so suddenly." She shrugged. It was true, she did not know why she could not contain her need to express herself for the first time in a century in such a manner.

"It's him being here, isn't it." Thor realised, his face dropping. "It's Loki."