"Your Royal Highness, I have something to report."
Garfield, Thor, and Loki all turned at once.
Fandral immediately regretted the phrasing.
Right. Three princes.
One a war god, one a schemer, and one an orange catastrophe that had somehow been elevated to nobility.
As Asgard's foremost general, combat strength second only to Odin himself, Fandral instinctively deferred to Thor.
Thor stepped forward without hesitation.
"Did you teach the Kree a lesson already?" he asked brightly.
Fandral blinked. "…The Kree?"
"No, no." He cleared his throat quickly. "I am looking for His Royal Highness, the Third Prince."
Garfield froze.
Thor's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh! That's you, Garfield." He nodded decisively. "Then, Loki, let's go."
Without a second thought, Thor reached out and grabbed Loki by the arm, already turning to leave.
Loki stiffened. No.
This was not normal.
It was perfectly reasonable for Fandral to seek Thor. Entirely expected, even. But to summon the newly minted orange cat prince for a private military discussion?
That was suspicious.
Dangerously so.
Was Odin planning to place Asgard's defenses under Garfield's authority? Was this cat about to become the linchpin of the realm's military command?
Loki could already envision a future where every scheme, every subtle maneuver, was inexplicably ruined by pawprints and laziness.
Absolutely not.
Loki wrenched himself free just enough to grab Thor's wrist.
"Brother." He said smoothly, "Garfield has only just returned to Asgard. There are many customs and procedures he has yet to learn."
"If this concerns military matters, surely our presence would be helpful."
Thor paused. Considered this for exactly half a second.
"Oh! That's true." He nodded approvingly. "Then we'll listen too."
Garfield stared at them.
Wonderful. My own Highness Thor truly has no brain at all.
Loki can lead him by the nose with a single sentence. How am I supposed to survive ruling anything like this?
Fandral felt a bead of sweat form at his temple.
He could not, absolutely could not allow Thor to hear anything about the Ten Realms.
Thinking quickly, he straightened and spoke with practiced authority.
"Your Highness Thor. Your Highness Loki. This is a private matter concerning His Highness Garfield alone."
He paused deliberately. "The God King is already aware."
That did it. The moment Odin's name entered the conversation, Thor visibly relaxed.
"Well, if Father knows." Thor said easily, "Then it must be fine."
He clapped Loki on the shoulder. "Come on."
Loki tried to resist, but resistance was pointless. Thor's strength was overwhelming.
He was dragged away bodily, still glaring over his shoulder at Garfield and Fandral with naked suspicion.
Only once they were gone did Fandral finally exhale.
He sat down heavily across from Garfield.
"Your Highness." He said, rubbing his face, "I truly should have listened to your advice and not questioned Heimdall."
"Now that I know about the Ten Realms, the pressure is… considerable."
There was a trace of complaint in his voice as he explained Heimdall's concerns, instability, and the possibility that Asgard could be drawn into a conflict spanning realms long thought lost.
Garfield listened quietly.
So Heimdall fears war.
Reasonable, but unnecessary.
The return of the Ten Realms and the restoration of the World Tree did not inherently mean conflict.
Angela being sent with Amenadiel was almost certainly the result of a binding bargain, one the other side could not refuse.
The Ten Realms themselves were not the price.
Resources. Energy. Relocation. Perhaps anchoring the realms near a stable wormhole junction rich in cosmic matter.
Such a feat would require Odin, the World Tree, and an Infinity Gem acting in concert.
Silver City alone could not possibly manage it.
But there was one genuine danger.
If Angela, Odin, and Frigga crossed paths without the truth being revealed first, the resulting misunderstanding could end in catastrophe.
That was the real risk.
Garfield's thoughts halted abruptly. The Time Stone.
The Ancient One's parting gift.
Understanding clicked into place. He raised a paw.
"Bow your head." Garfield said.
Fandral complied without thinking.
Garfield patted him firmly on the crown.
"Listen to Heimdall." Garfield said calmly. "Prepare."
Fandral straightened. "Under what name shall we proceed?"
Garfield flicked his tail lazily. "Are you stupid? Thor already gave you the excuse."
He smirked. "You're teaching the Kree a lesson. Use that."
"…" Fandral stared at him.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream