A Rainy Day in Asgard

Chapter 25

After the girls have changed, Darcy asks "I wonder where my child has run off to do?" I hold a finger to my lips and lead them to the window.

Outside, is the garden. Max eats one of the fruits as Jormungandr reads one of our books to her. They sit next to each other, under a large tree that Loki, Frigga, and I used to play under, when we were small.

After we get out of earshot, I explain "The garden is Jormungandr's favorite place in the palace."

"Where are we going?" Tony asks and I give him a look "Pubs?"

"Indeed." I smile, before explaining "I need to speak to a local drunk. A simple farmer who's to supply the pub with produce, for lack of riches. If he does not, I shall tell his wife of an affair."

"Manipulative of you, my king." Volstagg jokes and I smirk, before he asks "May I ask why you concern yourself about this matter?"

"You see, my dear friends, the affair, was with our dear trickster, eighteen year ago." I smirk and they stop in their tracks "Oh yes, I am a jealous king, when it comes to such matters." As I start down the stairs, I sigh "Come or stay, but make haste, before he returns home and beats his wife."

As I start down the streets of Asgard, they catch up and Sif hisses "You must realize this is madness!"

"For a man to lay hand on his wife is madness! Just because he can't get it up anymore, doesn't mean it's her fault!" I state.

As I enter the pub, I spot a man of my height and blonde hair "Fin!" I hiss and he turns to me, before his eyes bulge "How about a drink?"

"Shit is about to hit the fan." I hear Tony state as I sit next to Fin.

"What brings you here, my king?" Fin asks innocently as I chug my ale.

"I hear you have quite a debt here, don't you?" I ask and he gives a short nod "How large is your debt?"

"Twenty thousand units." the barkeep announce, walking over to refill my glass "And growing."

"Fin will provide you with produce and game, for his debt. I understand you don't have a cook?" I ask and he nods "Dorthnis will be your cook, and you split the food profit fifty-fifty with her, understand?"

The barkeep nods and Fin hisses "My wife, Dorthnis?"

"Yes." I nod, before gripping his shoulder, tightly "And you will not take that from her."

"She needs to stay home with the children, and cook!" Fin hisses and I glare at him "She does not belong anywhere else!"

"Your children are twelve and fourteen. They can take care of themselves." I declare, before smirking "She'll leave your sexist arse when she gets the riches, and I do believe you'll have to do something for yourself for the first time in your life."

When I put down two shillings of bronze, he tries to snatch them up and I slap his hands away "If your that in need of riches, stop drinking and pedal your goods, so your twelve year old doesn't have to do it."

With that, I hand the bronze to the barkeep and turn to walk away, only to has a trident fly by my head and into Fin's.

"He's been cutting my nets!" a fisherman screams as my warriors hold him back "Mother fucker!"

~

With a sigh, I open the force field to Jordam's cell "Trust me, I don't blame you. I will pay for your nets, it's the least I can do."

"Why are you helping me, my king?" Jordam asks and I walk towards him "I killed a man, you know?"

"He was a public nuisance." I remind, before explaining "His wife receives his farm. She's no longer abused."

He gives a nervous look as I walk closer "I know that you slept with our queen, eleven years ago."

He gasps, before nervously speaking "My king, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that he'd become queen!"

I scoff "Loki is a grown man. He can sleep with whoever he desires." Jordam nods and I sigh "Fin, also slept with Loki, did you know that?"

"I didn't know, my king." he frowns and I nod, before walking away from him and back to my friends, as Jormungandr runs up to me, Max on his heels.

"Jormungandr, you are not supposed to be down here!" I hiss as Jordam walks past us. Once he's gone, I hiss "Go the back way! Into the palace! But don't run on the bifrost, and stay away from the dungeons!"

With a frown, he runs up the stairs that lead up to the castle. Once he's gone, Steve asks "What was that about?"

With hesitantion, I sigh "Jordam slept with Loki, eleven years ago." I state, before explaining "Jormungandr does not know who his father is, and he never will."

"What gives you that right?" Tony asks, standing in front of me.

"I've known Jormungandr, for four months." I state, before shaking my head "When I first held Hel, I knew I've felt the same before." I point to myself "When I, and my warriors, started to train him how to control himself, I grew into that feeling!"

The warriors give me a proud look as I shrug "I'm jealous of that man, alright?" I ask, before shaking my head "I'm jealous that that man helped make that boy, and I will never be his biological father."

"I wonder if that's what Odin said when he adopted Loki." Sif sighs and I look to her "He might want to know. The least you could do is ask."

~

When I walk into the garden, Darcy calls out "Max, sweetie, come here!" When Max leaves, I sit next to Jormungandr.

After a long minute, I sigh "Jormungandr, I've met your biological father." he looks to me as he closes his book.

"Alright." he sighs.

There's a long period of rest, until I ask "Would you like to..." I lead off and sigh "Would you like a to meet him?"

He shakes his head, before looking down at his hands "I don't desire to know him." He looks up to me with a sideways smile.

I give him a perplexed look, before asking "May I ask why you don't want to meet him?"

He laughs softly "I mean, look at the last six months!" he demands, before explaining "I went from a scared homeless boy, with nobody to talk to, to being the prince of Jotunheim! For the first time ever, I get to live with my mum!" He points to me "You did that!" he smiles cheerfully, before shaking his head "Us, calling each other father and son, it's not an act on my part."

"Nor on mine." I state, before sighing "I just didn't know if you want your biological father in your life."

He shakes his head with a small smile "Nah, I already have my real father in my life." I smile at him and he sighs "Now, let's hug, and go on about our day."

I stand on the bench to hug him, before sighing "So how is it going with Max?"

"Great, uh..." he sighs, before shaking his head "She's very short."

"I think you two would make a good couple, once you're older..." I frown, before sighing "When she's not as short."

"If I ever end up dating my biological father's daughter, or something, then tell me to stop, okay?" he asks and I laugh, before nodding.