Now that work on the newly reconstructed Bifrost had been completed, it allowed Thor to leave without Odin's assistance, to go in search of his beloved Jane.
She had somehow slipped from Heimdall's sight, so the mighty Thunderer had not hesitated to return to Midgard, even at the risk of angering his father who continued to try and encourage him to court Sif.
Odin was ignorant of the lady's condition, but not of the clear interest she had begun to show in Thor once again.

In Thor's absence, another batch of marauders were brought back under arrest from Vanaheim. But unbeknownst to Heimdall two of the prisoners were not all they seemed to be.
The first being Algrim the strong; a dark elf of Svartalfheim and Malekith's loyal lieutenant. Concealing his identity behind a bestial mask, he fell in line with the criminals in order to be led away to the prisons. His intent was to infiltrate Asgard, and destroy the shield generator which protected the palace from attack.

The second imposter had an agenda of their own, and was none other than Amora the enchantress herself.
Using her sorcery to disguise herself as one of the guards, she slipped away unnoticed, and headed for the healing room.
Upon reaching her destination she proceeded to alter her appearance yet again, to that of a healer, so she could gain access to her love rival, Sif.

Finding the shield maiden on one of the healing tables, shrouded in a cool mist that served to sustain her temperature, she immediately put her plan into action.

Recognising the white robes of a healer, Sif instantly called out to her,
"Excuse me, but where is Eir? I've been detained here overnight and still no one will provide me with an explanation for why this treatment is necessary."

Smiling sweetly, Amora approached her slowly, with a face Sif did not recognise,
"What have you been told?"

Sif's brow furrowed as she recounted the information that Eir had given her,
"Very little other than that my temperature is unstable. It is causing my nausea and dizziness."

Reaching into her robe, Amora suddenly produced a small glass bottle which contained a green liquid,
"You poor unfortunate child. You have been suffering with a form of retrograde amnesia. Your memory has been impaired of late, has it not? This elixir will aid your generic memory, and recover the memories you have lost."

Eyes widening, Sif reached for the bottle without though or hesitation. Removing the cap with trembling fingers, she lifted the dainty bottle to her lips and swallowed down the contents. Draining it completely.

"You'll soon remember, now you must rest."
Amora assured her kindly.

The potion began to take affect almost instantaneously, as Sif's head began to spin. Her grip loosened and the bottle fell to the floor, shattering on impact.
Flashbacks flew through her minds eye, and a whole myriad of emotions came flooding back, overwhelming her. She fell back against the table, reeling from the impact of her restored thoughts and feelings.

She was barely coherent when Frigga arrived, and she hadn't even noticed Amora slip away amidst her confusion.

"My dear Sif, I have just learned of your being here."
The queen spoke gently, resting a hand on her forehead in spite of the curtain of cold air which surrounded the warrior.

Blinking rapidly, Sif grasped Frigga by the arm in desperation,
"I...I remember..."
She stammered, tears forming in her eyes.

Frigga held her breath in anticipation, almost too afraid to speak.

"...I loved him.."
Sif continued, attempting to swallow down the lump that had formed in her throat,
"...and I'm....I'm expecting his child."

At that Frigga almost reeled in shock. She could not understand how or why her adopted son's lover had unexpectedly regained her memory and discovered such a revelation.

Brushing her face tenderly with the back of her hand, Frigga leaned closer to her,
"Oh Sif I am so sorry that you have had to go through such an emotional ordeal. And I understand how daunting this must be, but you shall not face this alone. I vow to be there for you every step of the way."

Sitting up, Sif allowed herself to collapse into her embrace; sobbing quietly as she held her tightly in her arms. She found the Allmother's arms soothing, and her reassurance comforting.

"Thank you my queen, words alone cannot express my gratitude."

"There is no need for such expressions of thanks..."
Frigga assured her,
"...I am merely doing my duty as a queen, a friend...and a grandmother."

At that Sif hesitantly pulled away in order to look at her,
"Grandmother?"
She repeated quizzically.

"Why yes of course. I know one should be wary of early jubilation, and the circumstances surrounding your pregnancy are sorrowful...but I am still happy for both yourself and my son."

Heat flushed Sif's face and it was not due to her temperature.
"My queen, Thor and I have not..."
Her words trailed off, as the embarrassment crippled her.

Frigga was frowning now, and apprehension began to stir, though she kept her composure as she desperately did not wish to alarm the already fragile shield maiden.
"Lady Sif, you are aware of who the father of your unborn child is?"

Eyes rounding in surprise, Sif's bewilderment was evidently visible in her expression,
"Yes of course my queen....it is Holdur."

"Holdur?"
Frigga exclaimed, clearly horrified by her proclamation.

It was then that the perceptive queen glanced downwards, and her gaze fell upon the broken glass,
"How did you learn of this Sif?"

"The healer..."
Sif managed weakly,
"...the elixir worked-"

"Which healer?"
Frigga interrupted, unable to disguise the urgency in her voice.

"She was not familiar to me, why?"

"What colour was this elixir you speak of?"
Frigga was demanding now, as she crouched down to examine the fragments of the broken bottle.

"It was green and tasted of mint."
Sif replied, feeling panicked by the Allmother's reaction.

"And did it have a sour aftertaste?"
Frigga went on.

"Yes it did....why?"
Swinging her legs off the bed, Sif made to stand but was overcome with nausea.
Clasping a hand to her mouth, she slumped back onto the table whilst simultaneously fanning her face with her free hand.

"You must not excite yourself my child, be still a moment whilst I fetch Eir."

Hastily Frigga left the room, only to be approached by Nanna in the corridor.

"Your highness, Prince Thor is here...he brings with him the mortal Jane Foster, she has been afflicted by a most curious condition which is not of her world, the likes of which myself and Eir have never seen."

Agitated, Frigga took the young healer aside and spoke hurriedly to her,
"Lady Sif must not come into contact with the Midgardian at present, I fear this may upset her further....is Eir treating the woman now?"

"She is attempting to, your majesty...and several other healers are in attendance. And his Royal highness the King is on his way, I'm afraid he learned of the mortal's presence here on Asgard."
Nanna informed her, visibly flustered.

"Then you must go and tend to the lady Sif, there are other sinister forces at work here. I fear she has consumed a potion which has created false memories."

"False memories?"
Nanna repeated, aghast,
"Is such a thing possible?"

"Yes, I am afraid so. And she is now aware of her condition, but believes her ex lover, Holdur, is responsible for fathering the child."
The queen explained, without attempting to hide her horror.

Nanna stared back at the Allmother askance, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing,
"Holdur the fallen warrior? The former captain of the guards who was fatally wounded by Lorelei?"

"Yes the very same. And one must bear in mind how he callously spurned Sif in favour of the sorceress, so have a care how you converse with her. Do not risk causing further upset or alarm. But endeavour to seek further information..."
Frigga instructed, as she headed towards the double doors,
"....I will discover who is responsible for this, and I shall not rest until the lady Sif learns the true identity of the father."

***************

Loki sat casually in his cell reading a book on necromancy, indifferent to the chaos that had erupted within the prisons.

The Asgardian prisons were renown for being impenetrable, so it was evident that an extremely powerful and impressive force was at work within their midst.
He hadn't witnessed the horror or violence, as Algrim created an explosion which enabled him to escape. And he remained impassive as hoards of prisoners now rioted outside of his cell; fighting the guards and rushing for the doors in the hope of escaping with their lives.

It was only after some time seemed to pass, and the fracas did not seem to calm down, did he eventually begin to take notice. Vaguely amused by the antagonists' efforts and the way in which the guards were struggling to bring the situation under control, he peered out, observing the carnage with growing interest.

Amongst them all, one figure in particular stood out from the rest of the crowd. A hideous beastly looking creature, that reminded him of a long forgotten race of dark elf warriors known as the Kursed. He briefly recalled having seen illustrations of such monsters in the books he'd studied as a child.
But it was not possible that this was one of them. The legend of the dark elves had faded into the mists of time, their race all but extinct and their warriors vanquished by his adoptive grandfather Bor, many eons ago.

As the beast walked by his cell, it seemed to hesitate as it took in the way in which the fallen prince observed it.
Loki could sense the power that surged within it, and as it cautiously approached they stared back at each other, and he could not resist chancing a small smile. He admired it for wreaking such havoc, and was envious of the power it possessed. Because it was now evident that this one creature alone was responsible for freeing all the other inhabitants, and had somehow singlehandedly destroyed the powerful force field which had previously contained it. The likes of which had never been achieved before.

For a brief moment, he found himself hoping that it would free him also. But it became apparent as it withdrew and continued on it's way that it had no intention of doing so.
Slightly disappointed, the smile faded from Loki's face. His clever, handsome face which did not fit with what the creature wanted.

Algrim had now become Kurse, but despite his animalistic qualities, was no fool. He recognised something in Loki which made him uncomfortable.
His intention was to unleash mayhem, and the other inmates were reckless barbarians who served his purpose.
But this tall, dark stranger was isolated; imprisoned alone, he exuded confidence, intelligence and arrogance. Unlike the seemingly witless thugs who were now running amok, this individual was calm, collected and no doubt cunning. Yes, Loki was an anomaly that Kurse was not willing to risk unleashing.

"You might want to take the stairs on the left."
Loki advised, his voice tinged with indignation.

And with that the monstrous man was gone.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Loki attempted to return to his book, feeling somewhat dejected.
But his concentration was soon shattered again, this time by a lone guard who appeared to be hovering outside his cell.

Lifting his gaze briefly from the page, the trickster regarded him dismissively,
"I played no part in this, so spare me the interrogation."

"Your omission of innocence surprises me Lopt, but on this occasion I'm rather inclined to believe you."
Came the reply, which caused Loki's head to snap up.

"Amora?"
He ventured, his dark brows raising in astonishment.

"Your perceptiveness has not dulled during your incarceration."
She quipped, speaking with her own voice.

Loki was on his feet now, swiftly approaching the barrier,
"You are fortunate to have the protection of this force field, for it is the only thing preventing me from strangling you with my bare hands. And believe me I would revel in choking the life out of you."

"Come now Lopt, can we not let bygones be bygones?"

"No we cannot, you traitorous whore!"
He spat, his face now contorting with rage,
"You betrayed me to the Vanir king-"

"And you betrayed me sly one, you did not uphold your end of the bargain. I assisted you in your little game by posing as Njord's daughter. Together we succeeded in making the warrior wench jealous and in return you promised to see the charade through until the end."
Amora interrupted, scarcely pausing to draw breath.

Loki eyed her coldly, unmoved by her apparent anguish.
"And that is precisely what it was Amora, a charade. Nothing more. Surely you did not honestly believe that I intended to go ahead with that sham of a marriage? If you did then you'd be the fool I've always taken you for."

Taking a step nearer, the enchantress' voice dropped to a menacing whisper,
"You will not betray me Lopt. Your beloved Sif no longer desires you, and you are destined to rot here whilst she continues to pine for Thor.."

Visibly bristling, Loki turned his back on her abruptly. His need to unleash his anger upon her was more than he could bear. He felt dangerously close to imploding due to the blistering fury that consumed him.

"...mark my words Lopt.."
She continued, vehemently..
"..;should you ever gain your freedom, I will return....and I will be your bride!"

Forcing a tight smile, he turned slowly in order to impale her with his stare,
"I am under no obligation, our alliance dissolved the moment you sought revenge for your imagined slight-"

"Be silent you pig, and heed my warning...if you spurn me again you will suffer for it."

Cocking his head to one side, he pursed his lips in an over exaggerated manner,
"Ooh....it burns you still, that I do no reciprocate your feelings ..."
He mocked remorselessly,
"...I was a young, impressionable fool when you seduced me. You were a woman twice my age, who abused my mother's trust when she appointed you as my mentor. I was just another in a long line of apprentices you bedded for your own amusement, and you've always known that I care for another-"

"And she will never return your affections!"
Amora hissed angrily, her flinty eyes glistening with hatred,
"I have made certain of that."

Loki's face fell, and his guts began to churn,
"What have you done, you deplorable harpy?"

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out..."
She taunted,
"..so think on what I have said. If you ever find yourself free of these walls, you will not only suffer my wrath but that of my ally as well."

"Your brutish minion, Skurge? He does not pose any threat to me. You're going to have to do better than that Amora."

"It is not Skurge that I speak of. Circumstances have much changed during your absence Lopt....I have joined forces with a much greater threat. One who is known to you, and is very eager to unleash his vengeance upon you."

His face paled at her words, and beads of sweat began to form on his brow as terror suddenly gripped him.
Relishing his alarm, she smiled a sickening self-satisfied smile,
"That's right Lopt....Thanos is not yet done with you."