The balcony of Avenger's Tower lights up and Heimdall steps forth to speak with Thor and Loki's friends.

"Hey it's Oscar!" Tony quips. Everyone walks outside to meet with the man. Thor and Loki have been gone four months and they have received no news of their condition.

"Their Majesties King Thor and King Loki request your presence in the great hall. They wish for all of you to come and stay in the palace to celebrate their marriage and coronations." Heimdall says.

"How many days should we expect to be gone?" Steve asks.

"Celebrations such as this typically last several days." Heimdall says.

"We'll go pack." Bruce says. Everyone rushes inside and grabs a suitcase.

"Should we grab formal wear?" Clint asks concerned. He doesn't own a tuxedo.

"Their majesties have arranged for proper attire befitting each of you." Heimdall explains.

"I'll just bring my shield then." Steve says.

"Do you really think you'll need it?" Bruce asks.

"I feel naked without it." Steve says.

"If you're taking the shield I'm taking my iron suitcase." Tony says. He hates to admit it, but standing next to Steve without his Iron Man suit in a crowd full of people that have never heard of Tony Stark, the legend, the man makes him feel…not the center of attention.

"I'm bringing my toothbrush, my makeup, and a fist full of underwear then." Natasha says as she stuffs her purse. Within seconds everyone is ready. They get sucked up into the sky like pebbles in a slingshot and land at the gatehouse a little harshly. Tony lands on his face.

"Welcome to Asgard." Loki says with a wide grin. Tony groans as he looks up into the Jotunn King's face. "A simple bow would have sufficed Anthony, you needn't grovel so."

"You people need install seatbelts on that thing." Tony complains. Heimdall gives a deep lush chuckle behind him. He stumbles to his feet and joins the others in ogling the golden realm.

"Holy shit, no wonder Thor is so tan." Clint says as they step out of the gatehouse to enjoy the view of Asgard. Everything glows of gold and sunlight. Sunglasses appear from pockets, purses, and satchels and are donned immediately. The city is not the only thing that is glowing.

"Loki you look beautiful." Natasha comments as she takes in Loki's pregnant form. The belly is obvious on Loki's slender frame. The pregnancy still has a ways to go.

"Thank you my friend." Loki says as he leads the group to large floating silver boat. Everyone boards and Loki gives his command to the driver. "To the main hall please." Loki says politely.

"Yes my Queen." The guard says formally.

"Queen? Aren't you a King?" Tony asks.

"To the Aesir, I am Queen, wife of Thor and mother of the next King of Asgard. To my people I am King, father of the next generation to wield the power of the Casket. I find my time equally split these days." Loki says.

"How are your people Loki?" Steve asks.

"Better. The ones that survived are thriving now. I have spent the last several weeks repairing much of my world. There is now food a plenty for every Jotunn left ten times over. My world is a paradise again. All that is left is replacing the large animals that all died out."

"I thought all the animals went extinct." Bruce says.

"They did. I have to borrow animals from other realms and use the magic of the Casket to transform them into something that can survive on a frozen world. They won't be the same as the animals we had before, but I will try to come as close as I can to the original." Loki explains

"We didn't hear from either of you for a long time. We worried about you." Steve says.

"What happened?" Tony asks. Loki's eyes hover over to the driver and the others take the hint. Loki's answers will be cryptic and guarded here.

"A miracle of sorts. When Thor was crowned he made a of declaration of letting all rulers from all realms come to speak before him to build on old treaties and create new ones. At that moment, in my desperation I called out to Heimdall, begging for mercy for my people and he answered. I stood before Thor, all of Asgard, and before every foreign dignitary from the nine realms and told the people of Odin's crimes. The other realms were naturally, horrified. Fearing Thor's reign would be naught but a continuance of Odin's, Thor had no choice but to marry me to create and seal a peace treaty between our people. We were wed and consummated the marriage that very hour."

"So why only now are you celebrating?"

"We needed to give Thor a proper amount of time to mourn his father's death." Loki says soberly. He tells his friends about the nature of Odin's demise and warns them not to bring it up in Thor's presence. Despite Thor's assurances the poor man is having nightmares. The pain is still too raw.

"That's…..damn. I feel bad for him." Tony says. His own father had been a distant cold man but he still loved him.

"How is Asgard treating you Loki?" Natasha asks.

"With the all forced respect of a hated Schoolmarm." Loki says as he crosses his arms and legs. "They all wish I would drop dead, but they know that if their prayers were ever answered the other realms would see my death as the broken treaty it is and war would come to Asgard. I am the only reason the Vanir, the light elves, the dark elves, the dwarves, and the fire giants have not laid waste to their land and people. You'd think they'd be more grateful." Loki says, clearly trying to get a rise out of the royal guard driving their transport. They man stays silent.

"Well we hope to be better company." Clint says.

"Fuck yeah. We're gonna party like it's 1499! Bring on the tavern wenches or whatever the hell it is you people have up here." Tony says.

XxXxXxXxXx

Steve and the others come before Thor in the large throne room. Where there had once been one throne there is now two. It is a strong signal to the people of Asgard and the other monarchs about Loki's standing in the power structure. They bow as Loki instructed them. They must remember the royal protocols while in Asgard. Now that Thor has been crowned there are formalities that must be observed.

"My friends! Welcome to Asgard!" Thor beams brightly as he hops down from the seat of power to hug his friends. Thor has found honesty and friendship rare commodities of late. The Lady Sif and Warriors Three seem distant. He knows it is because of the way Odin was killed. They do not trust Thor's new spouse and suspect Loki of bewitching Thor. Thor has told them nothing of what transpired on Midgard. Only Frigga and Heimdall know the truth.

"You're Majesty." Everyone replies.

"Come. Let me show you to your quarters and then we can feast and drink together." Thor says happily. The stress lines around his eyes are noticeable. The burden of the crown is heavy.

The group is amazed by their accommodations as well as by the sweet Medieval times clothes that are intricately embroidered and stitched. Clint's eyes rake over Natasha as he takes in her lovely form in a gorgeous corseted number. Nat hates it.

"This is revenge for all the shopping I put you through on earth isn't it?" Nat says to Loki. Loki smirks.

"But you look amazing." Loki says.

"I can't breathe in this thing." Nat complains.

"Yes but your breasts have never been perkier." Loki says naughtily.

"Yeah well, if my skin turns blue it's not because I'm a frost giant." Nat says.

XxXxXxXxXx

Thor and Loki invite their mortal friends to their private chambers to enjoy a small feast away from the prying eyes of Asgard's people. Thor dismisses the servants for the evening and relaxes for the first time in months.

"You look tired Thor. How is kingship treating you?" Tony asks.

"The transition has been difficult. There are many that agree with what my father did and hate Loki for exposing the truth. They wish my father had succeeded." Thor says.

"That's fucked up Thor." Clint says.

"There are even some that blame me for his death and there are plots to kill both Loki and myself."

"Political coups such as this are not uncommon during a regime change. We will endure." Loki says as he strokes Thor's cheek. "It is an irony, but the very threat of war from the other realms is also what is keeping revolt from cropping up here in Asgard. The people know that if they try to overthrow Thor and me the other realms will attack. If I die suddenly the other realms attack. If I am disrespected in any way the other realms attack. The people of Asgard have no choice but to accept my rule and status as Thor's Queen."

"I am so sick with it all, I am tempted to abandon the people and leave them to suffer that very fate." Thor says as he drinks from his mug.

"A king that abandons his people is no longer a king." Loki says.

"The people of Asgard do not deserve one." Thor says. Loki knows it is more than the ale behind his words. Thor is serious.

"Would that I could change the hearts of men, but they are hateful people just as you once were." Loki says.

"You did change my heart, the heart of a king. Perhaps the people of Asgard require suffering just as I did." Thor says. Loki regards his husband carefully.

"Letting your people starve is a recipe for revolution Thor. No good will come of it. The people will simply see you as an unfit ruler unable to care for his people."

"I wish they could feel the suffering of your people as I felt yours. They would learn then Loki. They would understand."

"Perhaps they can." Loki says then as he thinks it over.

"What do you mean?" Natasha asks.

"I'm not sure. On my next trip to Jotunnheim I'll go to the old palace library and do some research. There are old sacred texts there filled with information about the Casket. The Casket has many secrets my father never bothered teaching me."

"It would be poetic if you could put the memories of all your dead people into the heads of the people here. It's a punishment they deserve." Steve says remembering the Jewish concentration camps in Germany and France.

"You may be onto something Captain." Loki says. The Avengers stay in Asgard for several days comforting Thor and Loki. Tony and the others worry about their non-human friends but they know there is only so much they can do. Thor and Loki will have to wade through the politics alone. Their honest kinship and candor lifts Thor's heart and Loki's spirits and the group's departure is bittersweet. Loki promises to invite them all up again when the baby arrives.

XxXxXxXxXx

Loki touches down just outside the old palace. It is a graveyard. Rather than try to rebuild everything that was lost, Loki covered his entire world in a thick sheet of ice and started over. Some memories are better left buried. Loki climbs in through a second story window and lights his way through the dark stairs with light from a magic beacon. He made it with power from the Casket. He passes through the throne room and stifles a cry. There, sitting on the throne is Helblindi; a skeleton looking out upon his kingdom of death.

"You outlasted almost everyone didn't you? How many of your friends did you wind up eating in the end?" Loki asks the lifeless mummy. In this moment Loki is grateful that only the fishing people survived. Restarting Jotunn civilization with people like Helblindi would have been impossible. They were too far gone in the end. Loki's knows his father's cooked bones are probably somewhere nearby, but he doesn't look too closely at any of the bodies. He doesn't need to know.

Loki steps over bones and fleshless carcasses as he searches the library for the ancient tomes he needs to study. He finds what he needs and leaves the decaying castle behind, calling up to Heimdall to transport him to the fishing village on the coast. He remains there for several days, seeing to the needs of his people and studying the manuscripts. After eight days of research Loki finds a solution that is acceptable. Asgard will face punishment.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Loki is due to give birth within days. Thor announces to his people that he and Loki are going to Jotunnheim where Loki will give birth before his people so that they may know that their future king is a true Jotunn/Aesir hybrid. This time Loki leaves the Casket of Ancient Winters behind in Asgard. Frigga accompanies the couple to help see to the newborn babe when it comes out, among other reasons.

Thor and Frigga are already at the gatehouse with Heimdall. They are waiting on Loki. He is in the weapon's vault chanting a spell over the Casket. When the chant is complete Loki removes the lid of the Casket, leaving its blue contents to slowly spill out of it into Asgard's ground. Loki retreats hastily, riding on the fastest horse the royal family owns. Loki, Thor, Frigga, and Heimdall all land on Jotunnheim safely just as the blue mist envelopes the edge of the city.

The people of Asgard shriek in fright as their skin turns blue and their eyes turn red. The food in their mouths turn to ash and for seven days they know what it is to hunger.