Juno gave a low bow, "Well forgive me if I'm not the most hospitable hostage of the group. I tend to get rather annoyed when people treat my sisters like dirt."

"Valhala forbid I attempt to evaluate one's abilities so that I do not put them in a situation they cannot handle when there are lives at stake" Loki scoffed, "How terrible a King I must be to wish to know and learn about those around me. Now, I am going to locate a reliable Frost Giant, talented in the ways of using ice, that they might teach your sister a thing or two-or must the King ask for your permission regarding anything to do with your precious sisters, despite the fact that I am doing all that I can to make them comfortable and help them adapt to this new situation?" he snapped at her, "Or perhaps you would prefer to explain to Ceres why I cannot deliver a message to her boyfriend, because her sister is incapable of showing an acceptable amount of respect.
There are ways of informing someone of their mistakes without treating them 'like dirt' as you so amply put it. I suggest you practice." he stepped away and headed down the hall.

Juno crossed her arms, she was grumpy. She was stuck in one location for who knows how long, she was coming up to 48 hours without coffee and she'd never seen Vesta so... so sad?

"Hmph.... You should just ask Vesta. She'd be able to teach her."

Loki sighed, "Might I suggest asking Vesta, seeing as she would be capable of the task. Is that really so hard to say?" he looked back at Juno, "As I would suggest visiting Ceres because I was able to convince her to make that Coffee plant you wanted."

Juno's eyes widened and a few seconds later she had teleported beside him and was hugging him. "Oh thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou."

He looked down at her, "... err..." wow, she was... hugging him? "Just... earn it. Be mindful, words can be as deadly as any weapon" he replied. All he demanded was the utmost respect, other than that she could do what she wanted.

"Oh umm..." She removed herself from his person and dusted his shirt. "Right... Ummm..." She curtsied slightly before disappearing.

Loki sighed and shook his head. So that was her soft spot, coffee? How strange. He wasn't entirely sure if he had been the one to convince Ceres to make the plant, though he was still happy to take credit for it-and he had been there when she made it so... sure.
Polly on the other hand... that was a peculiar situation. According to Juno she didn't remember how to use any of her powers, just like Vesta had mentioned before about not being born with any memories and even then, only remembering what's relevant. It was a strange system but apparently the truth.

But What did that change? It wasn't the fact that she never went looking for him that had left that empty void in his heart to be filled with anger. She had been right there next to him and never said a word. Loki had done everything to try and cheer her up but how could he help if he didn't know the problem? How could she just... not trust him at all? Add years of unanswered questions and unbridled rage and of course it was going to be hard to forgive her.

Loki groaned and leaned against the wall, running his hands through his hair. And then there was this damned cold, everywhere and Valhala forbid if he wanted to just spend a little time somewhere warm on occasion. The trips to and from Midgard had at least given him the freedom for that but now he didn't have as much reason to go and, he shivered and sighed, then suddenly stood stark still as he brought his hands down in front of his eyes. They were blue, which in it'self was not all that unusual, his skin did change on occasion when his body was compensating for the extreme weather but this wasn't Frost Giant blue, it was darker than that. And he had shivered, more than that he was freezing cold and he felt it. The King found himself sliding down the ice wall to the floor.

"Mmmm so good." Juno prasied as the girls walked out of Ceres room. She had a mug of coffee in her hand

Chirp.
"No you're coming with us. You need to get some fresh air." Juno commented at the little pink bird wrapped in a blanket in a basket Polly was carrying.

"Juno's right. If we're going to be staying here you shouldn't..." Vesta began as she felt her heart almost stop.
"Vesta? You ok?" Juno asked when Vesta stopped walking.

"Loki." She said under her breath and broke out into a run down the hall.
"..." Polly stood straight, "Master." She followed quickly behind.
"It's really creepy when you call him that." Juno followed after her sisters.

"LOKI!" Vesta slide around the corner, bumping into the wall and raced down the hallway to him. "What's wrong?" She asked, kneeling in front of him.

It had come on so quickly, and now he just wanted to... sleep. His eyes were half closed by the time Vesta got there, "Don't" he breathed, "touch..." he slumped sideways onto the floor as he passed out.
The blue flu was typically something that only affected Frost Giants, steadily dropping their temperature lower and lower until their bodies literally became ice and they would suffocate to death. Loki could handle the cold temperatures of Jotenheim but he wasn't immune altogether which meant he probably wouldn't live long enough to suffocate to death. Not to mention, while the disease typically only affected Frost Giants, it had never come in contact with midgardians before... there was no way to know if they were immune.
No wonder why he had gone to Ceres' room that morning, unconsciously seeking out a warmer place but once he had left...

"June." Vesta called, and a few seconds later, they were teleported into Ceres room. Vesta lifted Loki up and set him down into the warm water.

"Celeste" Celeste hopped out of the basket and placed her beck against Loki's head, a warm pink light.

"Springlings!"

June crossed her arms, "We should just let him get sick..."

"You know that's not an option and I won't allow it if it was." Vesta pointed out, holding Loki in her arms, running her hands along his face to help warm him up.

His skin felt like ice and he seemed to actually be making Vesta colder more than she was warming him.
The spriglings came clambering into view, practically a whole fleet of them surrounding them and creating heat to warm the room up considerably but he still seemed to be getting colder somehow.

One of the spriglings brought over some of the medicine that Ceres had been making from the flowers and offered it to Vesta to give to Loki.

Vesta's skin was getting redder and redder as she tried to warm him. She looked toward the bottle and nodded, "Thank you, little one." She took the bottle and tried to get Loki to drink it but he didn't seem able to. His mouth was too cold to work right.

Vesta poured the liquid into her mouth and wrapped her lips around his.

There was actual frost spreading across the ground from beneath him, though a few minutes after Vesta had given him the medicine, the cold began to finally give way. The spriglings looked very relieved.

Vesta continued to hold him, resting her head against the warm stones. She sighed, that took a lot out of her.

The girls had moved away when the frost began to spread.

" Thank you. Will he be alright now?" She asked looking at the closest Springling.

The creature touched Loki's forehead gingerly before nodding. Several of them stuck around to keep providing heat around him though.

The girls all stayed in Ceres room for the rest of the day.
~

"You need to ground it finer." Ceres explained, having transformed back to normal, and scaring the crap out of Juno when she came crashing down on her from above.
"Like this?" Polly held her mortar bowl out.
"That's it." Ceres said, "See June, just like that."

June ruffled her head, "But that takes more tttttttime."
"Well we have plenty of that laying around."

Vesta had dozed off, holding Loki loosely in the shallow end.

There seemed to be some sort of commotion happening outside. Byliestr had returned and with him more tribes were arriving and the leaders were demanding entry to the palace-and Loki's presence.

Juno teleported outside and then back when the girls heard the commotion.

"Ummm... we have a problem."

"Hmmm?" Vesta sat up, "What's wrong?"
"There's a bunch of tribe leaders at the main gate demanding entry and to see Loki."

Vesta's eyes shot open, alert and ready. She pulled herself and Loki out of the water, her clothes steaming dry. "Polly coffee. Loki." She ordered, quickly steaming his clothes dry.

"Got it." Polly grabbed the rest of June's coffee and started to wake Loki.

"June, allow the leaders only to enter and to gather in the throne room." June nodded and teleported away.

"Celeste, how many bottles of that stuff do you have?"

Celeste thought about it, "...15, maybe 20."

"Wrap some silk bows on them and bring them down. Have the springlings help you." Vesta's clothes turned into armor, a long silted red skirt bellowed behind her as she took her sword and when downstairs.

"I'll keep them going till we can get Loki up and moving. She stood at the bottom of the stairs to the throne, her sword tip lightly touching the icy floor.

Loki was apparently very tired though after much prompting he finally opened his eyes, "hmn?" he sat up slowly, the world seemed to be spinning a bit and he reached for something to steady himself. "What...?" he looked at his hand. They were back to normal and he finally felt warm again but so very weary.

"Master. You're better now. Forgive me for waking you but several tribes and their leaders have arrived, demanding you presence." She held the coffee to his mouth, "Victoria is keeping them busy. Here, this will wake you up." She informed him.

~

"His highness will be down shortly. While you wait, he would like to honour each tribe with a gift... A promise that his rein will benefit each and every tribe will good fortunate." Vesta spoke in a humble and yet strong voice.

Celeste and several springlings approached the tribe leaders, humbly holding out the bottles, wrapped in rich purple silks. Celeste bowed, holding the bottle out to Byliestr to take.

Loki tasted it and made a face, "That is terrible" he commented, though he drank the majority of it as quickly as possible. If what she said was true, he had to get down there as fast as possible.

~

"What's the delay?" Byliestr scoffed, "He is the one who invited the tribal leaders here. If he is not prepared to meet us there is no gift that can excuse such weakness" he glared down at Vesta, ignoring Ceres.

"How is this possible?" one of the other giants spoke in amazement as he took the bottle, though it was more like a small vile in his hand.

"Enough for all?" questioned another as it was given out.

Byliestr looked back to them in confusion before finally turning to what Ceres was offering. He picked it up and held it to the light. There was no mistaking what it was and the realization on his face revealed more than surprise.

Byliestr's expression betrayed him but Vesta said nothing on the matter.

Celeste bowed her head and once Byliestr took the bottle she withdrew to a column near Vesta.

"This is only the first batch. More is being made as we speak." Victoria explained.

"More?" Byliestr looked back to Vesta as the other mumbled behind him, "You will run the plant to extinction, it's nearly impossible to find as it is!"

"Not if you know where to look" Loki replied as he appeared, sitting on the throne. He had just been able to summon enough magic to change clothes and allow his skin to turn blue to display his Frost Giant heritage as openly as possible. "In fact, I plan on making it more widely common for everyone to use."

"So he shows himself" Byliestr growled, looking Loki over, "Very well, how do you intend to do such a thing?"

"By teaching Frost Giants how to grow and tend the plants" Loki replied as he rose to his feet, "Diseases such as the Blue Flu are to be a thing of the past. If that is something you can all agree with, then join me for a feast tomorrow and we can discuss it further. Until then, I invite you all to settle in."

The giants gladly agreed and Byliestr was forced to comply as well. "Seems fine to me" mumbled one to another as they bowed and exited the room. Byliestr held his place a moment longer, staring Loki down. Loki calmly returned the look with a slight grin until finally the full giant walked out.

The moment he was out of view, the King fell back into throne again exhausted. As much as the coffee had helped he was still fighting off the lasting effects of the flu.

Vesta walked back and put a hand on his shoulder, not looking at him, "This was no coincidence that you fell ill. I will be guarding you tonight," she stated, "...My lord." She added trying to make it sound a bit less like an order.