._.
Beneath
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Three – Arrival
He'd been watching for her; he knew she should be arriving soon. He spotted her, Jolgeir at her side, before she got too far from the door.
"A short break, Vafri," Thor interrupted. Vafri and the two experts with him stepped several feet away in deference, and Thor turned just in time to see Jolgeir dropping to a knee before him.
"Lady Jane Foster has arrived, Your Majesty."
"I see that. Thank you for meeting her. Jane…welcome. I'm so glad you could come." The smile that had appeared the moment he saw her hadn't abated. He was conscious of where he was and all of the court officials present, and did not feel he could greet Jane the way he wished. After a moment's hesitation he opened his arms, and to his immense relief Jane met him halfway. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, his long loose hair mostly hiding it from view.
"Hi," Jane said, tilting her head up.
"Hi," Thor said back. He took her hand and gave it a momentary squeeze as they separated.
"I'm glad you did that, because I really wasn't sure how I was supposed to act here. Still aren't, so if you have any pointers…"
"Be at ease, Jane. You're my guest, you needn't worry. You are welcome here."
"So this is a throne room," she said, glancing around her. It was a long, long room, columns and decorative sheers along the sides, then more columns further in, engraved shining floor, and at one end, not too far from where they stood, an enormous throne, its arms curving and twisting into elaborate enormous wings. Just the throne itself, she thought, was bigger than her room at the South Pole. It looked like the throne and floor and décor were all made of gold, and if so, then it had to be way more than all the proverbial gold in Fort Knox. "I thought you'd be sitting in the big chair," she said as her eyes settled on Thor again. She was glad he wasn't.
"I usually prefer to stand. And it's been strange. All of this," he said with a gesture of his hand. "But I've been growing more accustomed to it. Sometimes I do sit. How is everything at the South Pole? Are the repairs holding? Any more earthquakes?"
"Just some really minor ones, aftershocks. And yeah, the building's holding up just fine. Hugin and Munin caused quite the sensation," she said with a grin.
Thor's eyebrows went up. "They told you their names, and you understood them?"
"Not exactly," Jane answered with a laugh. "They pop up in Norse mythology. But they obviously understood me and everybody else. They actually nodded their heads to say yes."
"Really? They won't even do that for me. I thought they were only able to communicate with Father."
"They were friendly, for the most part. One of them a little more than the other."
"Hugin was friendlier, I'm certain of it. Munin is ornery. He used to try to yank my hair out."
Jane covered her mouth to laugh this time, picturing Thor running around and Munin dive bombing him, coming away with another tuft of blond hair each time. "That sounds like a story," she said, nodding toward Jolgeir, who'd stepped away to give them a little privacy. His chest shook a little with his smile, though he continued looking away, as though he hadn't overheard.
"Funnier now than it was then. At least to me. Loki thought it was hilarious, of course. Jane…speaking of Loki, and me…he's in negotiations, working out the details of a treaty to formally end the war. He may be finished for the day by evening, but I doubt he'll have any free time before then, and the negotiations may run into the next day as well. He assures me they'll be finished before the feast, though. As for me," he began, glancing back at Vafri, who was speaking with the two other experts, and now Geirmund as well, "free time is also a luxury I have little of. Asgard has barely functioned of late, and we're trying to figure out what to do for our citizens whose villages were destroyed in the attacks, how to restore services, how to replenish our food supplies as quickly as possible… I know my mother would love to show you around, too, but she's outside the city, making an official tour of the villages."
"It's all right. I understand you have some really important things to deal with. And I think Jolgeir will make a great tour guide, especially if you give him permission to tell me funny stories about when you were growing up."
"Ah. Stories? All right, he has it. You have it, Jolgeir," he said, this time toward the former Chief Palace Einherjar. "I hope I won't regret it."
"You won't," she said with an innocent smile, wrapping an arm around his and squeezing. "Don't worry about us. We'll have fun."
"Good. Still…I wish I could go with you. You shared your world with me. I want to do the same."
"Well, it's not like I gave you any actual tours of Earth. Or even of New Mexico. Just a few miles of empty desert, really, and one itsy bitsy town."
"And one rooftop with a sky like something made of magic."
"Yeah, there was that," Jane sighed, looking back on that magical night with a smile.
"We'll have dinner tonight, just you and I, out in one of the viewing chambers. No auroras, but I think you'll like it."
"I know I will. I can't wait."
"And tomorrow morning I'm setting aside some time for us to go out. I'll just have to be back in time to sign the treaty. In the meantime, there's no need to, but should you wish to change into more customary Asgardian attire, some clothing has been placed in your chambers, along with other items you may require. If you have need of anything else, Jolgeir will know who to ask to get it for you."
"Okay, thanks. I'm game for anything you want to do. I'm just excited to be here."
"So am I. Jolgeir, what's first on Jane's schedule today?"
Jolgeir came forward again. "I'm glad you asked. Prince Loki provided a tentative schedule, but I did want to confirm that you knew about the first item and approved, since Lady Jane is officially your guest."
"Go ahead," Thor said cautiously. It was probably fine, something Loki had learned that Jane liked from the time they'd spent together at the South Pole. But with Loki, who knew? Jolgeir wouldn't have said what he did if he had no concerns.
"He asked me to escort Lady Jane to the chambers of King Nadrith, and remain with her there while he provides lessons on a topic Prince Loki asked him to prepare."
"Lessons?" Thor repeated in confusion. "Lessons on what? And why with Nadrith?"
"He didn't say, Your Majesty."
"Jane? Do you have any idea what this is about?"
She shook her head. It had surprised her, too. She had briefly seen Nadrith in the past, greeting young Thor and Loki. She knew little about him, except for Loki's musings on his role in the political turmoil surrounding the war, and of course Niskit's part in an assassination attempt on him. She couldn't talk about that, though, and didn't see the relevance, anyway. "Maybe something about politics?"
"No. You are an esteemed guest. Loki would surely not be so cold as to send you straightaway to lessons on politics, as though you were a child. Asgard has thousands of more interesting things to see and do than go to lessons."
"I don't mind," Jane said with a shrug. "If Loki thought I would be interested, I probably will be. Oh! He told me about Alfheim's binary star system. Maybe he thought King Nadrith could tell me more about that."
Thor nodded, thinking. He remembered then that Loki had asked Nadrith to read about Alfheim's solar canopies and be prepared to explain it, but that seemed random and far too specialized – not to mention dull – to subject Jane to. Alfheim's star system was indeed more likely than Alfheim's architecture. "All right. But Jane, if you don't wish to stay for Nadrith's lessons" – he paused there and glanced to Jolgeir, uneasy with the idea of Jane being left alone with Nadrith and relieved that Loki had already thought of this and specified that Jolgeir should remain with her – "then you must say so. You have no obligation to learn anything from him, or to speak to him at all. He'll probably be released tomorrow, but as of today he is still our prisoner. Treat him with respect, address him as Your Majesty, but you need not afford him any other courtesy."
"Okay, I can do that."
"He's civil. He won't try to harm you. Still, this is highly unusual. Jolgeir, stay with Jane at all times."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"Jane," Thor said, stepping closer and taking her hands in his. "I look forward to finding out exactly what Nadrith has taught you. I hope you enjoy your afternoon, and I'll see you for dinner." He raised one hand to his lips to gently kiss it.
"Me, too," Jane said, a hint of that same old giggle coming out in her voice. This, she thought, would never get old. "Okay, I'll see you then." She pulled away a little awkwardly. A few people were quietly glancing their way. And it wasn't like being on a street corner, or at a restaurant. It was like being on some kind of stage. Thor was their king, and she was a Midgardian visiting him in his throne room – she must be the most interesting thing on all of Asgard at the moment. That was just a smidge intimidating.
Walking away, she turned and gave him a little wave; she saw his chest pulsing as he held up a hand back to her. For a couple of minutes, she couldn't break out of her own thoughts enough to speak.
In the meantime, Jolgeir led Jane back into the corridor they'd come through before, but this time they stopped at a grand wooden staircase they'd passed on their way to the throne room. "Would you like to stop by your own chambers first?"
"Sure, that sounds good."
They rounded the first turn on the stairs and Jane looked up for the first time. "Um…Jolgeir? What floor are my chambers on?" She couldn't see the top.
"Not to worry, my lady. The fourth. Prince Loki informed me that much more would not be comfortable for you. And when we go to King Nadrith, we'll use the service lifts. His are quite a bit higher."
"Service lifts are what the servants usually use?" She was relieved they existed, but it bothered her that if she was going up to visit Thor or Loki, with Thor or Loki…they'd have to join the servants on the elevators if they wanted to go up together.
"No, these are the formal stairs, used by the family and select others, much like the corridor we were in. At the moment of course we have many guests, relocated here because of the war, and they use these stairs as well."
"Pardon," a bearded auburn-haired man said as he slipped past them, going down.
"But the lower floors have two additional staircases, the upper floors one – the servants and most of the Einherjar use these. The service lifts are for moving items too large or awkward to manage on the stairs. Also in emergencies when one must move especially quickly."
"Okay. And how high up are the family's rooms?"
"The very top. King Odin and Queen Frigga on the highest floor, King Thor on the floor below that, and Prince Loki on the floor below that."
Jane strained to look up as she climbed, and nearly stumbled; Jolgeir bumped into her shoulder.
"My apologies," he said. "Sometimes instinct overrides recent memory. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, fine. Don't worry about it," Jane said, realizing Jolgeir had thought she might be falling and had meant to catch her. "I'll pay better attention to where I'm going." Still she stole another look up as they rounded another bend, putting them on a flat landing for a few steps. She had known Loki and Thor and basically everyone from the other realms were physically stronger than humans. But she'd associated that with heroic feats and extraordinary situations. Not with the incredibly ordinary like coming and going from your room. Like getting to the bottom only to realize you'd forgotten something and having to turn around and climb back up. Of course, maybe if that happened, you just sent a servant back up for it.
The stairs themselves were just stairs. Pretty ones, in some rich dark reddish wood, maybe mahogany, no carpet runners on them. The landings gave peeks into the long corridors with marble floors. When they reached her floor, Jane could feel it in her legs, but she wasn't out of breath. Thank you, South Pole, she thought.
Another Einherjar was waiting for them at the door Jolgeir led her to. The dark-skinned man introduced himself as Halfur, and exchanged a few words with Jolgeir, who explained that Halfur would be on duty on this floor during the daytime for the duration of her stay.
"Do you lock your doors by hand on Midgard?" Jolgeir asked.
"Uh…yes?"
"The door is ready for you, then."
Jane stood there for a moment in confusion. "Oh! You mean with just your hand?"
Jolgeir was now the one looking confused. "Yes, just your hand."
"Okay," Jane said, examining the door now, searching for something that looked like a palm scanner. She couldn't find one. She didn't want to ask again; she was beginning to feel self-conscious. With a quick tentative smile to Jolgeir, she looked for a clear patch amidst the artistic curves carved deeply into the wood, and pressed her palm lightly against it.
Nothing happened, nothing that Jane was aware of. Jolgeir, she saw, still looked vaguely confused, and Halfur's expression was entirely blank. Too blank. Jane sighed. "Okay, sorry, I don't know what to do."
"No, my lady," Jolgeir quickly responded. "I am sorry. It's easy to assume that we do the everyday things the same way on our two realms. We open our doors like so…Halfur?"
Halfur came over, extended a hand toward the door handle, then mimed turning it. Jane looked up at him, then at Jolgeir, incredulous.
"It's really quite easy. Go ahead, give it a try," Jolgeir urged.
Jane stared a moment longer, then broke into laughter.
"My lady?" Jolgeir said.
"Oh, please, stop with the 'my lady.' Really," she said, sobering, though laughter still colored her voice. "Let me just make sure I understand this. The door handle is what scans my palm? And recognizes me and lets me open the door?"
Jolgeir smiled as he nodded, though Jane figured he still probably didn't have a clue why she'd been pressing her hand up against the door. "It doesn't exactly 'scan,' but yes, it recognizes when you open it for the first time, and it will henceforth know you, and permit only you to enter. The palace Einherjar of course may override it, but would only do so in an emergency, and you may grant access to any others you choose. But…on Midgard it's the door itself which knows you?"
"No. But some places use palm scanners for extra security. Do I have to hold it a certain way, to make sure it registers my fingerprints?"
"It doesn't rely on fingerprints. It knows you. Your skin, your energies."
Jane nodded, mind abuzz with questions. Skin maybe meant it registered DNA? And energies…pulse? Brain waves? Loki sometimes talked about energy in an unfamiliar way, especially on the rare occasions when he spoke of magic. But if she was going to stop and ask about every single thing she had a question – or a million – about, she'd never make it into her room, much less to her mysterious lesson with the king of another planet, not to mention dinner with Thor tonight, and whenever she was going to get to see Loki again.
"Got it. More or less," she added. "For the record, I do know how door handles work. They're the same on Midgard. Except for the whole 'knowing you' part."
Jolgeir laughed behind closed lips, and Jane was glad it was him, and not some random person she'd never met at all before. There was still Halfur, of course. She gave him a grimacing smile; he probably thought she was an idiot, and maybe, by extension, all Midgardians, too. She turned back to Jolgeir. "And don't go telling Thor or Loki that I didn't know how to open the door."
Jolgeir promptly addressed Halfur. "The proper answer, should His Majesty inquire as to whether Lady Jane encountered any difficulties?"
"None that she could not overcome, Your Majesty."
"Good answer," Jane replied with an approving nod and a grin. "All right then," she said, finally reaching for the door handle. It felt ridiculously momentous now, for something as simple as gripping a handle and pushing it down. She did have to put more muscle into it – and a lot more into actually pushing the door open – than she'd expected.
Inside wasn't the bedroom, or even bedroom suite, that she supposed she'd vaguely pictured. It was an entire apartment, and a big one, especially considering that as far as she could tell as they went room to room, it had only one bedroom. A few rooms seemed like they existed merely to look nice, unless Asgardians really did need rooms that were just for "sitting." One of the extra rooms was clearly an office meant to hold a small library, full of beautiful and heavy-feeling dark wood and polished black marble veined with dark green, but its many shelves unfortunately held no books. The only "normal" room, in the sense that it looked like it could be found in a middle-class home instead of a billionaire's mansion, was the kitchen. And that, Jolgeir was explaining, was because everyone in the palace's private wing also had access to the palace kitchen's services; you only cooked if you felt like it. Jane nodded in appreciation.
"I do apologize that it isn't stocked. There's a loaf of bread in the fresher, and in the cooler you have a little butter. Here you have a few bottles of wine, a few bowls of various nuts, and a pitcher of water. Plates and glasses and similar in these cabinets, cutlery in this drawer."
Jane's eyes followed where Jolgeir indicated, questions popping into mind so quickly the next one was grabbing her attention before the last one was fully formed. The cooler, a refrigerator with an opaque glass door that turned translucent when touched, was smaller than the mini-fridge she and a roommate had once splurged on in their college dorm room. If the occupants chose to cook, where did they store all the cold things? There was no sign of an oven or a stove or even a toaster oven, so how did they cook? She wasn't in the slightest surprised not to see a microwave. And what about a dishwasher? Jane found it hard to imagine there was no dishwasher, but she couldn't see anything that looked like one. On the other hand, it was a palace, and maybe the dishwashers were the servants. Jolgeir had already told her that a servant would be coming by sometime tomorrow to "freshen" the chambers, and that if she wished, she could leave instructions regarding the time with the Einherjar on duty on her floor.
"We would normally provide better for guests of the House, but our food provisions remain under a strain. We have no fresh fruit, limited fresh vegetables, we have meat but we're rationing it to ensure we don't run out, and we have almost no milk left. You won't need to prepare any meals while you're here, but if you have any requests for additional food or drink, please do say so. Our stores are far from empty, we're simply careful not to waste."
"Halfur takes delivery orders?" Jane asked with a smile, pulling her gaze away from the cabinets and her questions about whether an oven might be hidden behind one of them. The wood cabinet and drawer Jolgeir had pointed out also turned translucent when touched, so checking later should be as quick and easy as running a fingertip over everything in the kitchen.
"Delivery of food? No, a servant will deliver your requested items from the kitchens."
"Oh, okay, but then who do I tell? Or is it automated somehow? It doesn't matter, actually, I'm sure I won't need anything else, I'm just curious."
"Automated, then, I suppose. You simply state what you would like. I'll demonstrate. I would like a large bowl of chicken soup, with carrot, potato, and onion, lightly seasoned, with two slices of warm rye bread."
Jane listened as Jolgeir further explained the system, that she could provide entire recipes or request something as broadly as "soup" and leave it to the cook's discretion, how she could review her order on any of a number of panels innocuously hidden in the walls and the furniture. Jane had the sense that he had covered only the very basics, but ultimately, no matter how curious she was, she hadn't come here to spend the day in the kitchen.
She held back on the questions, then, reminding herself there would be more time for that later, and thanked Jolgeir, who then left to wait for her outside while she took a few minutes to herself. Most things here, she thought while running her brush through her hair, were actually pretty familiar, at least in concept. There were chairs to sit in, a bed to sleep in, a tub to bathe in. A tub to bathe in. Jolgeir had shown her the recessed dials and told her what they did; a few of them controlled water jets, and the water was continually purified and heated. Jane had already decided she was going to put that tub to use, making up for months of two two-minute showers per week.
The bed was topped by a blanket made of animal fur, as far as Jane could tell. She ran a hand over it. It was luxuriously soft, but sleeping under it might feel strange – she hadn't grown up in a family that wore furs, or draped them over their beds. Draped in waves between the top of the tall posts were brown and lilac sheers. On the bedside table was a folded piece of paper; the only piece of paper she'd seen here, it drew her to it. She unfolded it and instantly recognized Loki's writing.
"Welcome back, Jana. If you have not come prepared to discuss the latest innovations in goat-herding, I hope you have at least mastered the Midgardian postal system. Loki."
Giddy laughter bubbled up, and her smile felt like it might crack her face apart. She had enjoyed talking with Jolgeir; he had the enviable ability to make you feel like you were old friends even though you'd just met. Seeing Thor again, in his own element for the first time, and without a catastrophe looming over them, had been exhilarating. But seeing Loki's handwriting, hearing Loki's voice through those words as clearly as if he'd been standing right there and speaking them aloud…it was a relief and a thrill and an uncontainable delight. If Loki could write her a note like that, she thought, he was probably doing okay, despite how hard it must be for him to be back on Asgard right now. "Jana" made her think about Harvest Day and the parade and little Thor and little Loki and sweet logs and the most amazing hillside sunset ever and Great Spiny River Crickets. "Goat-herding" made her think about preparing for Alfheim and that scarf she'd worn over her hair and the way that store employee had treated her like she was exactly the stereotype of the ignorant Vanir mountain-dweller that Loki had set her up to be and the way that Loki had so clearly enjoyed it and then knocked her right off her high horse with her reference to "illiterate country bumpkins."
Suffusing it all, of course, was that tone of mock-but-not-fully-mock superiority. Of course she should have mastered the Midgardian postal system, she thought, shaking her head. She recalled riding in that coach, on their way to see Niskit. Loki had been asking her about things on Earth she didn't understand, because she did understand cars and airplanes and microwaves. And also – she remembered as realization dawned – because she had first asked him about those second roofs, that he'd said were louvered canopies that somehow directed the suns' energy away and provided power to the buildings they covered. And then she had made a bargain with him. After Niskit removed Odin's magic that was slowly stripping away Loki's ability to use magic, after all the dust settled, she would find out how the postal system worked, and Loki would find out how those canopies worked, and they would swap stories. Nadrith wasn't going to tell her more about Alfheim's star system, he was going to tell her how those canopies worked.
The visit to Niskit hadn't at all gone as planned, and they'd returned to earthquakes and chaos at the South Pole. Jane had forgotten. Loki hadn't, she thought with a fond smile.
It wasn't important, these canopies. Not the way the stars were. Neither was the post office. She'd wondered about it off and on for most of her life, but never bothered to look it up or even mention it to anyone, until she mentioned it to Loki. But it was precisely because it wasn't important, and Loki had remembered it anyway, and asked no less than Alfheim's king to explain it to her, that left Jane staring at that short note and wishing she was about to go see Loki instead of Nadrith.
Loki and Thor both were busy with some pretty big responsibilities, though, and Nadrith conveniently had none, probably. And she had been curious about those canopies.
A separate dressing room was attached to the bedroom, and there stood several stick-figure mannequins adorned with colorful silk gowns; she would have fun trying them on tonight, but for now she decided to stick with her own clothes. A class, even if the teacher was a king, called for comfortable clothes. She shrugged back into her mini-backpack and headed out to meet Jolgeir.
/
/
Jane spent the ride up in the service lift reminding herself that she wasn't supposed to recognize Nadrith, and trying not to let herself feel embarrassed that she had to use an elevator when everyone else was taking the stairs.
Jolgeir rang the doorbell with his shoulder, and thirty seconds later the door was opening. Inside, clearly recognizable, stood Alfheim's King Nadrith, though Jane thought he looked like he was in his early thirties, instead of the early twenties she would have guessed a thousand years ago. Or a few weeks ago. Jane squeezed her eyes shut for a second to focus on the Nadrith that was before her now.
"Your Majesty," Jolgeir was saying, "I wish to introduce you to the Lady Jane Foster. She is your student for the afternoon."
Nadrith stared at her, taking her measure from on high, it felt like. She met his gaze with confidence. Nadrith was her third king. Fourth, she reminded herself – Loki, too, had been a king, if only for a short while. It was going to take more than a title to impress her. Or intimidate her.
"Lady Jane Foster."
"That's right," Jane answered evenly, intending to give away as little as he was. And if he wanted to call her 'Lady,' she wasn't going to stop him. "Nice to meet you."
"Hm. Yes. Welcome to my temporary home. I'm honored to host a friend of Asgard's throne."
Jane entered, Jolgeir close behind her. At first glance, Nadrith's apartment seemed pretty much the same as hers, at least in its level of opulence, though its furnishings and décor were different. Nadrith himself was not quite as tall as Thor and Loki, or Jolgeir, she thought as he came to stand before her, but still was taller than her. He wore a loose fitting white shirt with a deep V-neck that stood out against his bronzed skin, and brown leather pants covered with little loops and bits of fringe on them, maybe functional, or maybe just the style on Alfheim these days. On his arms, bracers of brown leather with red and yellow accents were strapped on, extending from flaps over the back of his hands to behind his elbows. The elongated ears peaking out through shoulder-length straight brown hair no longer stood out as odd, but she did notice that near the top of his right ear sparkled two small round orange gems.
"Might I ask where you are from, Lady Jane? Rather, might I guess that it is Midgard? Loki wouldn't tell me, but your name lacks the indication of a father, or, in case of unfortunate circumstances, even a mother. You can hardly hail from Asgard or Vanaheim, then. You are also clearly neither elf nor dwarf nor giant. Strange as it may seem, then, I am left to believe you must be of Midgard."
"I am," Jane confirmed without hesitation. Loki's refusal to say where she was from had given her pause, but by the time Nadrith had finished speaking, she'd decided that if her being from Earth was supposed to be a secret, Jolgeir wouldn't have introduced her with her full name, and Loki would have probably left a warning in his note, too. She thought it would be a good idea not to volunteer much else about herself or about Earth, though.
"Am I the first Ljosalf you've ever met, then? The first elf?"
"You are," Jane answered, quickly forging ahead before he had a chance to somehow detect the lie. "Am I the first Midgardian that you've met?"
"You are not," he said, smiling slightly, visibly relaxing from his rigid posture. "Though on Alfheim, I and my siblings are unique in that regard. It was part of our education, an arrangement made between my father and Odin. Odin granted us the use of the bifrost, you see. I remember I had to wear a thick wool cap to cover my ears, and I hated it. It itched terribly. Our ears are more sensitive than yours. Well…I suppose I don't know about yours. More sensitive than the Aesir's and Vanir's. I took it off every time we were alone – me, my father, my teacher, and a guard. At one point we were in a wooded area, and I was off exploring on my own, that wretched cap stuffed into my side pouch, when I rounded a large tree and came face to face with a boy picking mushrooms there. I smiled at him. I thought, how nice, perhaps I can make a friend here. We had spoken with some of the locals, but only briefly. My father didn't want us to interact very much. My newfound friend looked up at me in surprise, and started to smile back. And then he saw my ears. He started screaming so shrilly I feared for my eardrums, and amid his shrieks, as he was running away, he was calling me a demon. I shouted after him that I was an elf, not a demon, but I'm not sure he even heard me. He had left his basket of mushrooms, and I sat down beside it and cried."
"I guess on behalf of my home planet, I'm sorry," Jane said, enthralled by the story. All she'd been able to get out of Loki was goats grazing on grass roofs. Of course Loki had probably been trying to get her to shut up and focus on Pathfinder at the time, and Nadrith…what was Nadrith trying to do? She knew just enough about him, from Loki, to know that he was shrewd. As long as he was the one doing the talking, though, she figured she didn't have anything to worry about.
"No need, I assure you. I enjoyed the visit otherwise. I tell you this story simply to say that while I did meet Midgardians on that visit, and on a second one a few years later when I joined my sister, I was never able to speak with anyone long enough, or openly enough, to make a friend. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Jane. And to not have to wear that cap while doing so."
Jane laughed. Nadrith was quite possibly the most charming man – the most charming person – she had ever met. She wasn't getting any bad vibes off of him, and his tone and body language didn't have the feel of flirtation. It would be easy to forget that he had led his people into war against Asgard, a war that was technically not yet over, and was actually held prisoner in these rooms. Jane had no reason to be impolite or unkind, much less run off screaming, but she wouldn't forget, either. "I bet you made sure your sister kept her cap on."
At this Nadrith put a hand over his stomach and laughed. "You don't have a brother, do you, Lady Jane?"
Jane shook her head.
"I was horrible to her. It was hard to get a moment alone after what happened with me, but any time we got one, I told her she should take it off, that the adults were just trying to scare her with their warnings. Saltra is no fool, though. She knew me well enough not to listen. And I wasn't wise enough to realize that my insisting she take it off was having the opposite effect. By the time my younger brother went, I was older and kinder. I told him exactly what had happened to me and that he should keep his ears covered at all times, even though it was uncomfortable. Of course, circumstances had changed by then, too. I doubt he had a single second alone, and my sister and I weren't permitted to accompany him. The Jotuns had twice sent parties to Midgard in the previous year, and no one knew what might follow. My sister and I were sent to cold lands home to pale-skinned people, the types of places the Jotuns had gone to. My brother was instead sent to a warm land home to dark-skinned people, with a white sandy beach and crystal blue waters. He got to go spear-fishing. On Alfheim, few pastimes are as beloved as spear-fishing. He was so excited when he told me about it, and I was drowning in envy that I didn't dare admit because I was supposed to be an adult."
Nadrith grew pensive then, and Jane wasn't sure what to say. "Come on back to Earth, I'm sure there are plenty of places you can go spear-fishing," didn't quite seem appropriate, under the circumstances. She wanted desperately to ask about the Jotuns, to get a non-Aesir perspective on them, and to learn more about her own planet's unwritten history, but that was risky ground; the level of her curiosity would probably be difficult to explain away. Nadrith, though, soon relieved her of the need to respond.
"That was all a long time ago, of course. And I have the impression that Midgard has changed a great deal since then."
"How so?" Jane asked, going with Loki's answer-a-question-with-a-question. Nadrith hadn't technically asked a question, but it was there all the same.
"I was told to be prepared to teach you about our solar canopies. The mortals I encountered in my childhood hadn't figured out the basics of indoor waterworks. If Loki believes you're capable of understanding the canopies, then the pace of change on Midgard is no less than astonishing."
"When you put it that way…I guess it is," she said, relaxing again now that Nadrith seemed less like he was fishing for information about Earth.
"Please understand that I have no training as a teacher. There's no use in pretending that Loki asked me to do this because of my great teaching skills…or frankly even my understanding of the canopies." He paused to laugh lightly. "I'm not unwilling. Just woefully unqualified. But Loki graciously provided me with reading material, so I've prepared, and I give you my word I'll do the best I can."
"That's all anyone can ask." Nadrith's sarcasm was clear – and Jane had to hold back inappropriate laughter because she could totally picture Loki "graciously" providing Nadrith with reading material – but it seemed in good humor, not bitter.
"Good. I just thought you should know, in case I embarrass myself with my attempt at instruction. First, though, would you like a glass of water? Or tea, perhaps? From Vanaheim, unfortunately." He picked up a metal canister. "I think they provided this to me on purpose. Poor quality. Too much stem, and I suspect they have used not only the fourth leaf, but the fifth as well. Do you know much about tea, Lady Jane?"
"Not really. I'm more of a coffee drinker."
"Coffee? I've never heard of it. Perhaps I'll be able to try it someday. As you should try tea from Alfheim. It may put you off coffee forever."
"I doubt it. But I'd be glad to give it a chance." She already had, of course. But she wasn't enough of a connoisseur to compare its quality with other tea, and her tastebuds probably hadn't been fully functioning, either, following the cup she'd started out with that had been liberally fortified with mead.
"What we have here, unfortunately, is something that could not legally be sold as tea in Alfheim. To the less discerning," he said with a clearly deliberate glance toward Jolgeir, "it may be adequate, though. And I'm no longer permitted anything stronger, else I'd offer you that as well. May I get you some water or tea?"
Jolgeir, who had been standing unobtrusively off to the side all this time, didn't look bothered by what Nadrith had said. Still, now that she'd been reminded of why she was here, she decided it was probably best that they move on to that, even if she found Nadrith intriguing and was enjoying talking with him. "I think just water, thanks. I wouldn't want anything stronger anyway. I need to keep my head clear if I'm going to be a good student."
"Sensible," he said, pouring water from a metal pitcher into a pressed glass cup resting inside a decorative metal holder. "And clever. It may seem like I forget, but I do know that you aren't here for idle conversation. It's just that I'm bored. And frankly lonely." He cracked a broader smile. "And they took away my alcohol."
"Thank you," Jane said as she took the glass.
"Jolgeir? I know why you're here but you aren't officially on duty. Can I interest you in a glass of water? Or some execrable tea? Forgive my churlish sense of humor; I've found that captivity doesn't suit me. But know that I would provide better if I could."
"No, thank you, Your Majesty," Jolgeir said with a slight smile. "I do appreciate the offer, though."
"In that case, why don't we move to the study? The books are in there, and I've set up pen and paper for illustrations, if we need them."
Jane looked Jolgeir's way; his smile grew for her benefit. "That sounds great. Let's get started."
/
Raise your hand if you recognized the influence of the place I was living recently, for 3 years of this story? :-) There are two, and they both come from Nadrith. Plenty of spearfishing still goes on there but you know I went to the coast for diving. :-)
So, let's be honest, if this were a novel going through a publishing house, editors would cut 95% of this chapter. (I would know that was going to happen and not write it in the first place.) Luckily for me...it's not! I know it's not the reunion you were most likely hoping for, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. :-)
I'm behind on responding to reviews, a result of a topsy-turvy life the last month or so. I'm still here! I'll get back to you. A couple of responses to guest-reviewers: "C" - One good thing, Loki was mostly acting like a bit of a jerk toward Jane around others because he didn't want her to get dragged into whatever trouble he might get into for the time travel, he didn't want her to be seen as an accomplice. Also, no worries, I've never felt anyone was inappropriately pushy about updates on here, and I *like* to hear readers' enthusiasm for new chapters, so no worries. / "Curious" - re when Baldur will come up again, I'd say "soon" but that's relative! Thor did promise Jane to bring it up, given that Loki had confessed to intentional murder long ago, but told Jane that Baldur's death was an accident. / "Guest" - Buffy, maybe? :-) And to the rest of the guests, if I didn't specifically respond, THANKS!
Previews for Ch. 184: Loki recalls another would-be career that didn't quite work out; Loki and Thor have to deal with each other again; Loki loves it when a plan comes together...except that they usually don't go quite the way he'd choose if it were fully up to him.
And excerpt:
Jane jumped at the loud bang.
"Get behind me. Both of you," Jolgeir ordered over the pounding of approaching boots.
Nadrith stood his ground, eyes casting about for something he could use as a weapon, but Jane had no qualms about obeying.