Choices

Chapter 110
"It's an honor to meet you Dr. Banner." Cephera greeted with the commencement of the usual handshake.
"You as well. You're all Tony would talk about your first week here."
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing." Cephera frowned and threw Tony a look.
"Nothing bad," Tony replied.
"No worries Mrs. Drogo, I know how Tony can be." Bruce Banner gave a smile.
"So...," Tony said sliding between them. "You ready to meet your life partner?"
Banner rolled his eyes, but allowed Tony to guide him toward the table. "Banner, this is Cephera's father, King Yorin Drogo," Tony's grin widened. "He turns into the big blue smurf,"
Banner sighed at Tony's obvious mischief but continued to shake her father's offered hand. He'd taken on his human form after his fit from the day before and stayed in it.
"So," Tony stood between them. "Does all of it turn color," he eyed them both and Cephera groaned.
"I don't need to know that about my father," Cephera interjected, but it was too late. Her father had no problems answers those kinds of questions.
"Of course, a bit dark though." Banner looked uncomfortable.
Cephera felt bad for him. "Tony, if you're so interested, than perhaps you're better suited to be offered to my father." Cephera crossed her arms.
"Well as kinky as that sounds, I'll have to pass. I have Pepper." Tony shrugged it off without a second thought. His answer seemed to amuse Cephera's father.
"You couldn't handle me Stark." Yorin told him.
Cephera put a hand to her forehead, what had she started. Now the two of them were back and forth on a seemingly playful banter about sexual prowess.
"Sorry, I was trying to take the attention off of you." Cephera told Banner.
"You succeeded." He half laughed. "Do you know what you're having?" Banner asked gesturing toward her belly.
"No. We don't really care for those kinds of things is Asgard or Mechanova. A child is a blessing no matter if they are a girl, boy, or otherwise." Banner gave her a strange look.
"Otherwise?" He questioned.
"Oh I know the answer!" Tony burst out his hand thrown into the air like a child eager to respond. "You know that myth where Loki gives birth to a girl, a snake, a horse, and a wolf..., not in that order, but it's real." Tony beamed.
Cephera smiled. She was glad Tony hadn't called them monsters and for some reason she wasn't surprised that he'd told Banner about her marriage to Loki, or at least something about it.
"My child was not conceived through dark magic, so it's highly unlikely I'll have a child like them, but I would still love them had they been."
"You're a good woman." Banner smiled at her and she got the feeling that he didn't judge her like some would. She was glad for that.
(Seraphina)
"Who called this meeting," Seraphina restrained herself from demanding the answer. She asked in an even polite tone.
"I did," she knew his voice. Seraphina turned to look toward the sound of Krystoff.
"I know you cannot see, Seraphina, but I have news." She didn't like the sounds of that.
She could hear the curious chatter around her, and Fandral kept his hand on her back for comfort knowing he was close by. "I have found the children's father."
"What?" She said before stopping herself.
"I located the vast tower in the midst of the ocean, and he was lurking about. He's admitted it to me, smug and clear like the killer we know him to be." Krystoff contined, ignoring her outburst.
Seraphina turned to Fandral, "this can't be happening." She muttered to him. He squeezed her arm, but he could bring her no comfort now.
"You cannot act out, you know it. All you can do is follow."Fandral returned the whisper. He had become as hateful of these deceptions as she has.
"I want to hear this confession. Why did you do it?" Seraphina asked, hoping she was staring at the man in question.
"Because you and your family have become greedy over the year." His voice was raspy, strained. "Years ago your father made it so that no outsiders could come to live here. We were forced to leave behind those who helped us have children, or could have."
"That law was set forth after outsiders came to live and then tried to usurp our power." Seraphina reminded him.
"Which conveniently happened only after your mother was long dead. The king got to spend his life with his entire family, but the rest of us cannot." The man was bitter. His anger was at least genuine.
"You are twisting events to suit your own mind." Seraphina replied.
"Then what of our so called alliance with Asgard. We have yet to be deemed passage through to find our own mates. It's clear there must be children allowed, you yourself have had one. Why are the rest of your people not extended the same curtesy. Isn't that why we make treaties?"
Seraphina bit the inside of her cheek. The gate to Asgard remained closed to keep the Fevours in. No one questioned it, until now. She could hear the mutterings of agreement between the people.
"The treaty was for a trial. It was to get to know our people and culture before moving forward." She explained, thinking off the top of her head.
"And after over 800 years that 'trail' is not yet finished. You have a child, and now so does our other Princess." He spat the words. "Greedy," he roared. "I wanted to bring about a new era. One were we didn't need outsiders."
"Is that why you disguised yourself as the King. Making the children think he was their father. To tear down the royals and replace us?"
There were gasps. This was information no one knew yet. Seraphina knew it would have to come out, now was a good a time as any. She'd have to explain why he left at a later date.
"At least you're not dumb." He replied.
"We will readdress our freedom to join with Asgards people, but first, what will we do with him?" Krystoff called.
Seraphina heard of death whispered among them. "You have raped, tortured, and murdered five of your own people. We have never had a death penalty, but then again we have never had this kind of thing happen before. You made your choice to kill, and for the future safety of this kingdom, I choose the same for you."
She was glad that her people seemed overjoyed by this and at the same time saddened. What had they become?
"We will escort him to his death and then afterwards we will discuss Asgard." She assured everyone, who were muttering all around her.
"You can't kill our father," it was Sulu who burst out.
"He committed the worst crime available against our people. He will pay with his own life."
"Perhaps he can be redeemed. Give us the freedom to bring our mates here and open Asgards gates."
"A man who wrought this upon any person, let alone five of them, is not redeemable. And why would I want him roaming about other lands to possibly do the same. No, he dies." Seraphina shook her head, deeming her words final.
"You'll pay," she thought she heard Sulu say before his sister yelled at him to leave it be.
XxX
Seraphina hit the wall, cracking her knuckles causing blood to trickle down her hand.
"You always taught our son to never let his anger show." Fandral reminded her.
"When facing and enemy. You are not my enemy." Seraphina growled.
"Do you think he did it?" He asked. They were in the safety of her bedroom.
"No," Seraphina spat the word. "I think it's an elaborate plan gone wrong and right all at the one time."
"Wrong and right?" Fandral asked.
"Wrong because my father is now clear to return home and our family is safe. I think the Fevours scrambled to gain back control of the situation. They never expected me to escape and return home, but I believe raising attention to Asgard is their frenzied backup plan." She scowled.
"What will you do?"
"The only thing I can do, complete the terms of the treaty, open the waygate to Asgard." She curled her hands into fists, her knuckles having healed.
"You can always make up a reason not to," he told her.
"No I can't. You didn't hear what I heard...,"
"I was in the same room, I'm pretty sure I did." He sounded confused.
"No. Being blind I find that lately I hear more. The people all around us were agreeing with this point. If I make more excuses they will become agitated. Enough has happened, I think it's time to give in. Cephera is on Earth. We don't have clearance for Earth. Cephera is there at the command of a King we are allied with, she's safe."
"Your mother was of Earth." Fandral was still trying to understand all the rules.
"All those centuries ago it was different. Earth was a little hole in the far reaches of the cosmos and humans were not seen as creatures worth asking permission for. They've evolved since then, we all have." She sighed. "I'll send you to Asgard to tell Odin. I'm sending Rorik back to Earth to tell my father he can come home and let him know of the change."
"We'll get through this." Fandral assured her.
"They'll have to make a mistake sometime." Seraphina hoped out loud.

Notes