Owner	Pose
Loki	"Ms. Queen," comes a disembodied voice from Thea's left shoulder... roughly. The shoulder, but also upwards, offset perhaps. A few moments later, a beautiful image flutters into form. It is a glorious, dark blue butterfly, with arching patterns of black webbing and golden, brilliant eyes throughout the wingtips. The voice is a warm, smooth one, but does not necessarily match anyone immediately. "Your presence is desired in the gardens, per royal request. This way, please," says the pleasant intonation. The magical creature begins to slowly glide along, into the long, further hallways of arching stone and architecture. The butterfly is a serene, relaxed guide, weaving along like a boat on mirror-smooth air-water.
Thea Queen	Being up at the Asgardian palace is always an experience, no matter how harrowing her reasons to be here might be. It hadn't been long since Thea had done her interrogation to the prisoner, not enough to fully get to terms with all that had been revealed. She is making her way to her quarters when there's that voice. Magic or .... Yes, definitely magic. She looks at butterfly but it's the words that make the larger impact. 'per royal request'. She knows what it means. Taking in a breath she then begins following the butterfly through the hallways, steps echoing in the empty corridors, eyes trailing from the butterfly to the magnificence of the architecture. "These clearly weren't made for small ones like me.." she murmurs to herself, taking a turn to enter the gardens.
Loki	Loki is present, and extremely obvious: there's no hiding behind anything here. There are guards in an ambient way around the garden, but they aren't close enough to be intrusive in any way. It's perhaps an expected side effect to Loki being the current ruler of Asgard: Prince Regent, in this case. Loki is dressed the part, without being too over the top with it. His attire is more gold than green at the moment, with a high collar of detailed, dazzling embroidery talent and magic. The crown on his head contains shorter horns: perhaps half as long as those on his battle helmet, though what that may signify or mean could be elusive without deeper knowledge. He is not in full armor - this is more a royal attire associated to holding court. It does, though, have high impact in this place: the very reality of anchoring Loki as his current role - instead of a shapeshifting amused trickster enjoying himself off in some random bar somewhere. Responsibility and power has set in, maybe. The butterfly glides over and affixes itself to the half-braid in Loki's dark hair, melting into a black and gemmed dark blue piece of his jewelry. "So, you've had ... relatively free reign here," Loki observes, smoothly. His tone is amused, maybe; non-aggressive, but he's always a bit chaotic with his mood shifts or tells. "Ideally to pick up all sorts of information. I hope it's worked?" A slanting smile shows as he orients mostly at her, seating himself regally on a carved stone bench.
Thea Queen	For her part Thea came dressed as the Red Arrow, in this case in the red and black leathers that are her suit, a sword and bow on her back. After what happened back when Thor disappeared where she was unarmed she has decided she won't go without weapons for now. The hood is down though, and she is without the domino mask, delicate features showing while she makes her way closer. And just like her attire sends a message on her own state of affairs she can certainly read that shift on Loki. The more royal aspect to him that translates not only just in clothing but in the bearing. She inclines her head at him and replies in a smooth manner. "Only due to your generosity, of course." It's good to start with some appeasing. Then with a respectful bow of her head. She knows the mercurial aspect on the Asgardian. And then to that last question she nods slowly. "Some. I was able to speak with the prisoner you have down at the dungeons, and he has revealed a few things that may be of interest." She makes her way closer but doesn't sit just yet, waiting.
Loki	"Mmmmm," Loki says in a quiet ponderance as she flatters his generosity, rolling his thumb against his other fingers on left hand; a thoughtful gesture, weighing how much of the compliment he'll allow to impact him, maybe. His smile is mild, though, anyway. This also could be some facet of a Loki character she's running into: one related to how he decides he'd like to be - or should be? "If it is useful, I'll continue to keep access to the prisoner open, though if it comes to a halt, there's also some creative ways to encourage that." Loki's busy, but willing to lean on the prisoner, is the message. "Pray, don't keep me in suspense, though."
Thea Queen	For someone like Thea that has always lived in high society and learned to read those social cues it's always hard to figure out Loki. So what could that mild smile mean? So many things. Maybe that's the point. So she focuses on what she is doing here, which is to relate what the prisoner revealed. "First we should start with his identity. The name of the prisoner is Korek, a half-troll and half ..., we assumed elf. He was part of an attack on Trollheim a ways before this whole search for the artifacts began. He was pushed back by Thor, Sif and a few others. I was there but did not participate in the last battle." she explains. "A while back he returned, he came to me personally and offered me a ring. He wanted Trollheim to be part of what was happening with the rings, wanted to be part of the saga. At the time I thought he was trying to mend his ways.." she frowns at that, clearly not pleased at herself. "The ring had no power in itself, no magic, but had a strong resonance and meaning to Korek. It was also at that time I saw he was disguised as a human, he was able to craft glamours to look human and not the half-troll that he is."
Loki	If Loki knows some, half, or all of the information -- it's entirely unclear. He's relaxing there, seeming to take in all the story in a knowing way. Loki, never one to tip a hand either way when he can walk an unknown road - and he's doing that here. He seems only to be listening to her explanation, however she chooses to present it. The bench he's seated on isn't small, and he does give a small extend of hand that she may seat herself if she wishes. It's barely an offer, though, because it makes very little difference to him if she prefers standing. Often the Valkyrie do, so it's no insult to abstain. "Personally, hm?" he asks. Why Thea?
Thea Queen	"Personally." Thea re-affirms, stepping closer to that bench to sit down. Not too close to Loki but not that far either. Just enough. She knows the proper procedures. Well, midgardian procedures at least but how different would they be up here? Or at least that's what Thea hopes. "I am not sure why me. He gave me a few reasons, told me it was because I was the weakest of the group but ..., I feel that would make little sense as he gained nothing by coming to me with it and not any of the others. Maybe it was because he knew I wouldn't attack him right out or ..." she lifts her shoulders. "I do not know..." and by her tone it's something that seems to be having an effect on her. And not the good kind of effect. "Now, to what I discovered from him when I was talking with him in the dungeons." And she takes in a breath, "Sometime before he came to meet me and give me the ring he intercepted young Lord Frikke. The son of the Lord of the North. Thor, when we went up there to retrieve one of the items that were to be used on the ritual he had young Frikke to be fostered at the Asgard Palace." a pause, "Korek intercepted that convoy, attracted Frikke and killed him." she looks away after saying that, "And then used his face to be there when the attack began."
Loki	"To manipulate you in some way, then," Loki says, without much inflection. It just is what it is; Loki isn't judging her harshly on that fact either, it seems. Those that fall into manipulation traps aren't always to be blamed, anyway: manipulation can happen to most mortals. A human like Thea? Certainly normal. "Replaced Frikke - to what end, do you think?" Loki questions. It's a little smarmy, like how a teacher might ask a student how they are coming around to an answer, but it isn't mean in intent. Loki's tone is thoughtful, working through her story with patience.
Thea Queen	"He wanted to be part of the saga. Or the tale. But in this case not be part of the ritual itself. He was in on what was going on, Malekith's attack." Thea replies back at Loki. "He made little sense on his dialogue, his memory is heavily eroded as I believe the kills he takes have taken a toll, or influence him somehow." she shakes her head, "I don't understand it fully. But .., if he is to be believed he may well be one of Malekith's sons." she informs. "And he told me he was sent to kill Frikke by the one that manipulated the magic that brought forth those portals. I assume it's Malekith. He calls him father." "Frikke's death is sure to bring strife with the northern kingdoms when it's known that he died. He was to be fostered here so he was Thor's responsibility. And now he's dead." She lets that sink in. "Which means trouble will brew from there."
Loki	"Yes. Buffered slightly by Thor's current status, but that won't give a lot of time," Loki answers, in a really very cold, disconnected way about Thor's 'status' -- that Thor is, at this time, possibly dead. Loki's distancing himself from it, putting that fact in a box elsewhere, to take this at a very logical face value. "We'll have to take /good/ care of Mr. Korek, for those in the north to get their bloodlust sated on his neck, then." Loki's aware of the barter that may have to happen ahead of them. The kingship and what it requires here isn't lost on him in a sea of grief -- at least on the surface. "The Queen may be of great help here to smooth this one out." Loki maybe is talking to himself a little, because he snaps his attention back to Thea belatedly, masking some weird emotion - maybe pain or stress? "Do we have any reason to believe any of what Korek said? How accurate is it, by your judgment?"
Thea Queen	"If anything he was very adamant in telling me he never lied to me. It seems to be ..., something important to him." Thea says back to Loki once he stops talking to himself. She respectfully doesn't comment on that part, nor on the grief that surely must still be very present. But right now she is not here to offer words of comfort. She is here to help fight back against Malekith. "He was only a part of the larger picture, given a very specific mission. But it's all pointing to..." she pauses, frowning a moment. "With Thor disappeared for now, and your father asleep. The kingdom of the north currently in bad relations with Asgard and even Alfheim being weakened it all really seems to be pointing that an invasion may be imminent." "Korek was very sure that Asgard wouldn't be standing for much longer. So in a way he also didn't care what he told me, he doesn't believe we have a chance of winning. That without Thor ..." she trails off.
Loki	"Asgard is very equipped to defend herself. Or even to go on the aggressive, should I decide it necessary," Loki says, that same cold manner on the surface, but also something that came from that place of pain or stress. Loki does want blood, too. For Thor? Other reasons? Hard to determine exactly, and Loki doesn't specify. "I'll stoke Alfheim's strength." Loki seems to mean /right now/, because he's getting to his feet, with a decisiveness. It's a rare strength to see on Loki, he rarely actively steps up without a lot of planning and manipulation. But perhaps some other influences are at play. "Keep this. Appraise me of other points," Loki says, in a firm, directing way, as he removes the butterfly and sets it on the bench next to her. "I don't think some of these things can wait." He's clearly about to move away; the guards have sensed it too and are looking over.
Thea Queen	When Loki gets up to his feet so does Thea do the same. Blue eyes watch the determination there on Loki. The need for blood. She nods sharply at that, she knows a bit how that can be, at her own scale. That need to avenge a brother. "Of course.." she reaches quietly with one gloved hand to pick up the butterfly. More magic. But she assumes that a moogle like her will be able to use it without trouble. Hopefully. "I will keep you informed on what's going on." And she doesn't seem to have much more to offer about the interrogation now, stepping aside to also go on her way.