Thor had insisted they eat breakfast together ever since finding out about the child "It's time to tell the realm." Thor declared one day as they ate.

"Do you really think so?" Kari toyed with her food anxiously.

"You cannot deny it any longer Kari, you are almost half way, and you cannot but notice your stomach."

"What are you implying?" She snarled.

"That you are carrying a child and look exactly like a woman carrying said child, nothing else." He replied cautiously. Kari giggled at his fear. "You were jesting."

"I have little to entertain me these days. I have to get my fill of humour somehow." She shrugged with a grin.

"Are you still drawing?" Kari nodded. "Good." He smiled. "Why not get some women to keep you company?"

"I am busy aiding your mother through what is happening with your father."

"When that is done then."

"Have you kept Loki informed with what is happening with Odin?"

"Not really. He would not care."

"You should inform him, better to be right than for him to resent you if you are wrong."

"You are good at giving council Kari."

"Tell me something I did not know."

"Child bearing suits you." She looked at him. "You look happier than you have in years."

"I am enjoying it, now the illness has passed."

"Good. Can you feel it moving?"

"Only little flutterings so far, nothing to strong yet." Thor gave a proud smile, looking to her stomach. "We best see how your father is this morning."

Odin had become completely bed ridden, his body failing him from the stomach down. His moods were often angry and vicious, lashing out at his family for his current state. Though for once, he seemed better humoured to Kari, whose stomach he incessantly watched grow, making constant comments about bloodlines and it being about time. She said little in his company at those times.

"How has the realm reacted to the news?" The old king asked that afternoon.

"We are revealing it this evening father." Thor stated.

"Why has it not been revealed before now?" He demanded.

"Because I wished it so, I wanted to ensure the child was safe and healthy before telling everyone." Kari stated. "Thor will tell the Warrior's later this afternoon when he meets with them, then this evening, the realm will know, and by morn, all the realms will know."

Thor smiled at her consent his friends. He mouthed 'thank you' to her, to which Kari gave a nod.

"And that brother of yours?"

"I have not spoken to him in a few weeks."

"Has he even declared intent with this Princess Caoimhe?"

"Not that I am aware. As of the last time I spoke with him, no."

"Then find out and get him back here, he should be assisting you with at least some menial tasks." The old man growled.

"I have sent for him only a few hours ago."

"Good." He groaned as he grimaced in pain again.

Kari found herself biting the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from grinning at his discomfort. She rose to her feet. "I had best go to Edith and see if the dress I asked her to make for the revealing of the child is ready yet." Kari explained as she walked from the room, no one said anything to her as she left.

Kari stared at the dress that the seamstress had made, she was unsure as to whether to laugh or cry. It was turquoise, neither blue nor green, but an amalgamation of the two. There was endless irony in that choice as far as she could see.

"I know you said no greens your majesty, but as they and blues suit you so well, I thought that perhaps you would like this as a change." The seamstress explained.

"It is beautiful." Kari could not deny it, the design was intricate and it came with a beautiful shawl.

"It does nothing to hide the child, but that is why I created the shawl also, so that you can wear it until the Allfather makes it known, then you can proudly show off the precious prince or princess." She smiled.

"It is perfect, thank you Edith."

"I am only too happy to do so your Majesty."

"Why do I suspect that you are itching to make some baby clothes?"

"I have already started I must confess." Kari laughed. "Nothing too much, just a few plain pieces, I will add more when the child is born, and see whose features it seems to have more of, your or the Allfather's."

Kari swallowed hard at that thought, she knew there was a chance of the child getting Loki's black hair and green eyes, with the seidr also, perhaps it would not be possible to hide his parentage, as neither she nor Thor had the same as his brother.

"Allmother, are you alright, you have paled somewhat?"

"Yes, I am just a bit tired, and also stressed about tonight, I know the realm will rejoice, but I still am concerned."

"That is understandable, you are carrying the future of the Aesir royal family within you, that is a lot of pressure for one person. Go get some rest, I will have this brought to your rooms."

"Thank you Edith, I may just do that." Kari gave a small smile as she walked out of the room and towards her chambers.

On arriving she curled up in her bed, not even noticing her maids staring at her, she was constantly worried about the child and what would happen if her terrible secret was revealed. She knew Thor would be heartbroken, but how angry would he be? He would never harm her or the child, which she was almost certain of, but it could destroy him, and that worried her. And Loki, who she could not attempt to speak with, was set to return, what way would he react. He would see her stomach now, it was hard to miss, and the evening meal would mean the whole realm was to find out. She knew his hatred for everything that happened them, would he make comments to imply the child may not be Thor's, or would he assume it was also and say something to hurt her, she did not know. As the tears threatened to fall once more from her eyes, she wondered why she did what she had done; she wished she never had never been chosen to come to the palace.

Ever since the day her father told her of her being chosen for Prince Loki, nothing had went right, any time that seemed pleasant since that day was only to tease her so to tell her what life could possibly be like, then it was snatched away again so that she would suffer. But she was no fool, a lot of what had happened her was her own doing and she knew it. She had dragged others into it also, Thor and Loki, both blameless in her decision. If it were not for the child growing in her, dependant on her, she would have wished to never awaken from the sleep that she was falling into.

Helena's face was the first thing Kari saw when she woke. She groaned as she stretched, looking around bewildered before remembering the conflict that had taken place in her mind just as she began to fall asleep.

"Your Majesty, you are being requested at the King's Father's chambers." The maid informed her.

"Fine, I'm up." She groaned, not able to feel anything other than groggy. "Is it urgent?"

"I am not sure Ma'am. But the king seemed adamant you join them immediately."

Kari did not even check her hair as she left the rooms and made her way to Odin's chambers. When she arrived she was not entirely shocked to hear arguing from within. What did surprise her was one of the voices she heard. She walked in to see Thor, Odin and Loki taking part in a three way argument.

"You should have returned sooner." Odin barked.

"I told Thor to keep me posted, how am I supposed to know what is going on if he did not have the decency to at least try and tell me."

"I have had a lot to contend with here Loki, had you not remained in Vanaheim simply to mount Gaufrid's sister."

Frigga stood close by looking upset, not knowing how best to try and deal with her sons and husband. She used be firm to the extent that even Odin would silence when she demanded it, but her husband's illness had taken its toll on her physically and mentally also, so she did nothing but stand and watch.

"What is going on here?" Kari demanded. Her head was aching from her own stresses, and now with Loki's return and the impending revealing of the child. The men looked around at her, she knew she probably looked unkempt and more in line with a maid that the queen and Allmother. "I am as good as dragged from my bed by my maid to come here, thinking there was something wrong; instead I am met with three idiots arguing like boys in a training yard. Why was I awoken, and there better be good reason for it?"

"Loki has returned." Thor stated sheepishly.

"Really, I would never have gathered that little titbit of information, what with him standing there next to you." She barked angrily. "And so what if he has, you sent for him this morning for goodness sake, it cannot be a surprise, was that the reason for me being rushed here, because if it is I will murder someone."

"He needs to be punished for not returning sooner." Odin stated coldly.

"Was he told to come sooner?" Thor shook his head. "Well his is a seidr wielder, not an all-seer so how in the Nine Realms was he supposed to know to return if he was not told to. Norn's men are brainless." Loki gave a small smug smile. "You could have checked on your father too you know, you are not blameless in this." She snapped at him, taking Loki by surprise.

Kari felt a terrible pang of heartache looking at his emerald green eyes. She could see there was emotions within them he was trying to hide. Holding the shawl she had grabbed to keep her shoulders warm closer to her body, she turned to walk out the door again.

"Where are you going?" Thor asked.

"I am preparing for tonight, so if you are all finished acting like children, I suggest you do the same."

"There is a reason you were called here." Frigga informed her.

"Well as no one has graced me with the reason for such, I merely assumed it was to deal with the non issue the three fools were having."

"Cease the insults." Loki snarled angrily. "They do not suit you." He added as he went to walk passed her. He froze as he came into close proximity to her, looking her up and down until he came to her stomach, looking at intently. "What…?" He looked at her face again, then to that of his family. "I see congratulations are in order." His voice was calm, oddly so.

"How can you…?" Thor began to ask.

"Kari has never once given any sign of the ability to wield seidr. I can almost smell it from her now. There can only be one reason for such."

"She is nearly half way." Thor stated proudly.

"I see, well then, I had best begin preparing for the celebrations for my nephew or niece." He gave the false smile Kari knew all too well. "Congratulations." He bowed to her. "You must be thrilled." He all but spat the last word to her before walking out of the room.

"So why was I called here so?" Kari demanded as she allowed her anger at Loki flow over to her dealing with everything else.

X

Kari looked at herself in the mirror. The turquoise dress suited her perfectly. Her hair was done in great detail, she looked like the Queen she was expected to be. Her stomach was protruding in a perfect bump, proclaiming to one and all she was with child. She bit her lip thinking of how Loki had reacted, he had looked at her in sheer contempt; she had to speak with him.

Grabbing the shawl that Edith had made, she ran to his rooms. She entered without even knocking, knowing that if she did, he could teleport away. Loki turned with his hands glowing green to defend himself, as soon as he saw Kari, the glow went away. "What do you want?"

"Loki." The glare he was giving her stomach made her put her arms around it to defend it. "Don't do that."

"That has ruined everything we had."

"It did not ask to exist."

"What you did…"

"I did what I had to do." Kari snarled. "I had no choice."

"What are you on about, of course you had, going to Vanaheim, getting him drunk while pretending to be so yourself, and…and…" He shuddered thinking about it. "When you said you were not going to even come."

"Exactly, I had no intentions of going."

"So why did you go?"

"I needed to."

"Bull!"

"I had to."

"Why is that then?" He spat.

"To explain my being with child."

"There is one way to explain a woman being with child."

"Not when she has not lain with her husband in half a century there isn't."

Loki frowned. "It only takes once they say."

"Oh for goodness sake Loki, can you not take a hint, I had to get Thor too drunk to realise that we had not actually done anything, to protect the child, our child." Loki's mouth dropped open.