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Chapter Forty-One

~Nobody's POV~

Thor, flanked by Fandral and Volstagg, walks through the Asgardian palace. Over the past month, Thor has been in between worlds, trying to figure out his place. On Earth, although the search for Thea has temporarily ceased, tension is running high. Thor had left the Avengers, plus Jack, Peter, and the Calen brothers, in low spirits considering it is Christmas.

Thor had also left with several tricklings of doubt in the back of his head. Tony's revelation about Thea's eye color and parentage has left him confused. True, everyone had always believed that Thea retained her unnatural strength and fighting ability- not to mention her shrewd intellect- from the Imeldi poisoning. But Kyle has a point. The Mantra was supposed to have been removed from Thea's body, with no lingering effects. But the effects had certainly lingered.

More to the point, and more to the concern, however, is the current condition of Asgard. This morning, Sif had taken him aside and told him that in the more distant villages about Asgard, there have been disturbances: raids, pillaging, and other sorts of chaos. Thor had sent a legion of soldiers to squash the rebellion, but Sif had conspiratorially informed him that Fjodr's clan was the one most likely behind the attacks. However, not only had Odin been doing little about it, but the Asgardian King had also been absent as of late, and when present, extremely distracted.

Thor wants answers. He finds his father in the throne room, slouched against the golden chair and speaking to a manservant that is holding an empty glass of wine.

"Father, I have need to speak with you," says Thor, bowing, with Fandral and Volstagg doing the same on either side of him.

"What about, my son?" Odin waves away the manservant, who ducks a hasty bow and walks out of the room.

"Father, marauders, possibly led by Fjodr, have led disturbances in the neighboring villages, and yet you have done nothing."

"There is no proof that Fjodr led these disturbances," says Odin.

Thor stares. Odin's family and Fjodr's have long been enemies, and Odin being so dismissive of a possible criminal action by his archenemy is something of a mystery. "Father, our people were hurt. Two men and one woman were killed. How can you stand by and wait for more chaos to torment our lands?"

"Chaos?" asks Odin distantly, "Chaos breeds truth. If we do not linger and let these events unfurl, we do not know what Fjodr has planned. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye."

"You just said that Fjodr was not responsible."

Odin frowns slightly. "Did I? Well that is the truth."

Thor exchanges confused looks with Fandral, who shrugs, and Volstagg, who shakes his head.

Taking a deep breath, Thor continues, "And then there is the issue regarding Neidra, the sorceress."

"Neidra has been absent from any public viewing for quite some time," says Odin tiredly, "What is the issue with this?"

Thor pauses, wondering if he should risk it. He does. "Father, we believe Thea was taken to her mansion for an unknown reason."

"Neidra cannot have no reason for this," adds Fandral, "She is cunning. For some reason, she believed Thea's powers are a threat. She drank phoenix blood."

It is Odin's turn to stare at them. He leans back against the throne and says, "Thea? The girl you brought through this hall last spring. Powers, you say?"

"Yes, but I thought you knew this," says Thor, confused again, "She dined with us regularly."

Odin raises a hand in understanding, "Yes, my son, but I fail to see how she affects the regimes of my kingdom."

"She is missing, Father. And we have reason to believe that she was taken by an Asgardian sorcerer. There are few of those, and those that I can name, I can name on my hand. Neidra is the only one who has had any correlation with Thea."

"Has she been seen recently?" asks Odin sharply.

"No, Father, she hasn't. We are all anxiously awaiting her return to-"

Odin shakes his head, "Neidra has not been seen."

Thor is exasperated, "Where has she been?"

"Nobody knows," says Odin. There is something in his tone that is strange to Thor. It is almost robotic.

Volstagg takes over, "My liege, can we not request more regiments to protect those that live in the immediate radius of Fjodr's influence?"

"No," says Odin curtly, "These disturbances will work themselves out, or they shall not. They are trivial, and no concern of mine."

"But, your most gracioius-"

"That is my final word!" Odin's voice echoes through the throne room. Volstagg falls silence.

Thor rises, looking at his father through narrowed eyes. He turns and stalks from the room without another word, his red cape swishing behind him. Volstagg and Fandral bow to Odin and hurry after their friend.

The throne room door bangs behind them.

"What was that about?" asks Fandral.

"I do not know," says Thor lowly, striding down the hall, "But I need answers. There is trickery occurring in Asgard, and there are few places where I can receive clues."

"Where are we going?" asks Volstagg.

Thor clenches Mjolnir. "To Fjodr."

"Thor, this is a tremendous surprise," says Fjodr mildly. The clan leader has just walked into a large drawing room overlooking the valley, to find the crowned prince of Asgard, plus Sif, Volstagg, and Fandral, sitting rigidly in chairs next to the fireplace. "How may I assist you today, my liege?"

His tone is almost mocking. Thor ignores this and rises, so that he is looking down at Fjodr instead of the other way around. "Fjodr, the attack on the village, this was your doing, was it not?"

"Thor, you are condemning me for something that I did not do!" says Fjodr in shock, although the shock undermined by something like pride, "This was the work of a few of my servants and ambassadors, but I assure you, it did not come straight from my household."

Thor is fully aware that if he wants to keep Fjodr talking, he will have to steer the conversation away from the raids. However, he doesn't have the slightest idea what to talk about now- times like these are when he subconsciously desires a mind like his late brother's.

Thankfully, Sif speaks up, "Your wife, Heira. You do miss her, do you not?"

Fjodr is taken aback. Clearing his throat, he says forcefully, "Of course I do. She was my love, who was stolen from me by a villainous trickster."

"Who?" asks Sif.

"Loki," spits Fjodr.

Sif stares. So does Thor, although he regains his composure.

"Have care," says Thor, "When you are mentioning my brother."

Sif shakes her head subtly at Thor, and then, before Fjodr can say anything, says, "You took a vow of chastity, correct?"

Fjodr bristles, reminding Thor of a flustered peacock, "Yes I did, and I assure you, that I have kept it. But what does this have to do with your visit?"

"So you have had no relations with any other woman?" asks Sif.

"Certainly not!"

Sif waits a couple moments, apparently for Fjodr to regain his composure. Then, she says, "When was the last time you saw Neidra?"

"The sorceress?" asks Fjodr, with a hint of surprise, "Nearly a month ago. She mentioned that she was not feeling her best, and that she and her son would be recluding in her estate for a while until she gets her strength returned to her."

There is silence. Then, Thor says, "What color are Saissa's eyes?"

Fjodr frowns, "I beg your pardon?"

"Saissa's eyes. What color are they?"

"Dark brown," says Fjodr, frowning, "I do not see how this is relevant."

Sif, Volstagg, and Fandral look just as confused as Fjodr. But Thor remains persistent.

"And what color were Heira's?"

Fjodr frowns again, "Blue."

"Ah," says Thor, and then gets to his feet. "Fjodr, if you see Neidra, you are to inform me at once."

"Of course, my liege. And we are all cleared up about the messy business regarding the raids, are we not?"

"Naturally," says Thor, walking out of the room, followed by his three friends.

"You're not actually cleared up about the raids, are you?" asks Fandral lightly.

"Absolutely not," says Thor.

They walk down the dark hallways of Fjodr's large, lodge-like house, passing silent servants, antique furniture, and the occasional hunting trophy in the form of a decapitated boar or some other fierce creature. Just as they are about to turn to descend a staircase to the main entrance of the house, a shrill voice comes from the adjacent room.

"When she is queen? Don't be absurd, I shall be queen, and that fiery little demon will be crushed under my- your majesty!"

Saissa stops speaking abruptly as she sees Thor standing in the doorway. She has been talking with a girl roughly her own age, who has tight lips and a rather upturned nose. Immediately, both girls curtsy.

"Saissa," says Thor, "What were you just discussing?"

While Fjodr's face had remained passive and calm, Saissa's flares up with ego and confidence, "Nothing of concern, your grace."

Thor pauses, waits for a second, and then persists, "Saissa, who was the fiery demon you were just discussing."

"My cat," says Saissa dryly. Her friend snorts back laughter.

"This is not amusing, either of you," says Thor sternly, "I have half a mind to take you both back to the palace with me and have my father attend to you."

"Your father?" demands Saissa, "Your father? You cannot even see what is before your eyes, can you not?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about," says Thor.

"Of course you don't," says Saissa, "No matter. But-"

"You were just talking about Thea," says Thor, "Why?"

Saissa opens her mouth, then closes it.

"I do not like being lied to," says Thor, "So-"

"How unfortunate," says Saissa, "And suppose I was talking about Thea? What would it matter?"

"It would matter," says Thor, "Because she is not in line for the Asgardian throne."

"Precisely," says Saissa. "And-"

"Saissa, how old are you?"

"Fourteen," snaps Saissa.

Thor walks out of the room without another word. His friends hurry behind him.

"What is it?" asks Fandral hurriedly. "Thor, what is amiss, I can see it in your face that-"

"Loki seduced Heira after Saissa was born," says Thor, "When she was six, and could remember it. That was only eight years ago."

"What's the problem with that?"

"The problem, dear friend," says Thor, "Is that eight years is most certainly not sixteen, which marked the year that Loki died."

"Are you trying to tell me that Loki is alive?" asks Stark. He, Sif, Bruce, and Thor are sitting in a private conference room, after Thor had barged in on the not-so-enthusiastic Christmas dinner and pulled the two scientists aside.

"I do not know," says Thor, pacing the room, "But something is not right. My father is acting mysterious, both Fjodr and Saissa are acting smug, and somehow, Loki did not die when I thought he did, or something is wrong with my head."

"And there is more," says Sif, "Recall that we used to believe that Neidra's suitor had a daughter with dark hair? I should have realized before now that Fjodr would never break his vow of chastity to his wife, even though she apparently did the same to him. The dark-haired daughter cannot be Saissa."

"How can it be Thea?" asks Bruce, "Thea has blonde hair."

"Some sorcerers can easily manipulate the appearance of others," says Thor, "Although I did not know that Saissa had this ability."

"But Loki did," points out Tony.

"And beyond that, the girl was described as immortal," says Sif, "Which is impossible for any mortal...unless she has the blood of Asgard running through her veins."

Silence.

Then, Tony says, "I could test this easily, with blood. But we don't have Thea's blood, do we?"

"Not that I know of," says Bruce.

More silence.

"Until we get Thea's blood, we can't do anything but guess," says Tony, "But I'm guessing that we might be onto something. And if what I think is right is actually right, then not only is a very powerful sorcerer alive, but the God of Mischief had more than one secret, and that secret has to do with a particular green-eyed fourteen year old."

So...close...almost....there....

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