Chapter 6.

Eloynne paced the halls, cursing under her breath. The Midgardian trash delivered a healthy boy, a true heir for Loki to dote over. Now she was being celebrated throughout Asgard again, the awful child with her. Now Loki was most likely fawning over her, worshiping at her little feet while singing her praises. She cringed at the disgusting thought, ducking behind a pillar and watching as the two maids left her chambers. Both women giggled, smiling as they walked and taking about their new charge.

She waited in her hiding spot, listening to the two women leave. She was about the leave for her chambers when Loki opened the door, pausing before closing it. She could see over his shoulder, and he was looking at the sleeping woman on the bed. He moved quickly, closing the door quietly behind him and walking toward his chambers. She smiled to herself, thinking they were still fighting and she had sent him away for the night. Eloynne grinned, licking her lips as she thought of what to do next..

She debated her two choices, follow Loki and harass him further, or walk into the chambers in front of her. He father would want all the information on the child she could bring him, he would also be very proud of and praise her if she succeeded.

She took her chance ans walked to the door, opening it and peering inside. The awful girl did not move, her breathing light and steady as she slept. Eloynne looked at the Midgardain in distaste, everyone spoke of how perfect and beautiful she was but she was so ugly. The smile of the Illendrial sweeter than honey, and a laugh fainer than wine. All she saw as a girl who would not die, a girl who bothered her father and made him angry for just existing as Odin's new pet relic.

She crept quietly over to the cradle and stood over it, the baby swaddled snugly and sleeping within. It looked pathetic to her, tiny and helpless, making her wonder if Loki was disappointed by such a awful and useless child. She glanced at the cushions on the couch nearby and back at the child, it would not even be able to cry. It would also be so easy, a tragedy really. A sickly and fragile child, suddenly snatched from life by cruel Fate.

No one but she and her father knowing the truth.

The door opened, forcing her to panic and hide behind the screen nearby, pulling her out of her murderous thoughts. She held her breath, fearing being caught by Loki and beaten for being so foolish. Eloynne looked around the screen to see a hooded figure in a black cloak standing over the child, a ball of green light in their hand. She smiled at what she was seeing, Loki preparing to murder his own child. The woman on the bed shifted, her soft murmur laced with sleep as she settled again and dozed and did not hear the whimper from the cradle.

She could stand as a witness against him, her father would be so very pleased with her. The child would be dead, the awful girl gone, and Loki would be locked away again. It was so perfect in her mind, she could not have asked for a better plan. She silently urged the assassin on, mentally telling Loki to rip the life from the baby when a small cry echoed from the cradle. The wretch stirred and rubbed her face, Eloynne standing in shock at the boldness of Loki.

"Get away from him!" The woman on the bed shrieked, and Eloynne jumped in shock at the sound. The screen tipped and crashed to the ground, forcing her to act to cover her presence. She picked up a heavy basin, running forward and smashing it into the hooded figures head. The force of the blow shattering it as the person ran, covering their face. The hood was torn, and blood marking the shards on the floor. Lilliana hurried from her bed, cradling the now shrieking child in her arms. Her soft voice soothing the baby, and she glared that the figure with a ball of fire in her hand.

The person in the hood ran, holding the back of their head and down the halls. Eloynne screamed for Guards, further covering her presence as Lilliana limped toward the door with a bleeding foot. She had to think, she had to explain why she had entered these chambers or face trouble herself. Eloynne, ran toward the door, beating the mother and child so she could be the first to raise the alarm.

"Loki tried to murder his own son, I saw it all! He is bleeding from the would I gave him on his head!" Eloynne shouted, the entire castle coming to alert with the fast traveling news. Loki ran from the opposite way the attacker left by, he was carrying clothes and toiletries. His expression that of panic and concern, the commotion was building in the hall and room behind her.

"What happened?" He said, catching his breath before the Guards threw him to the ground. The constant sounds of a mother trying to soothe her crying child, as Loki protested the handling. Eloynne had doubts that they had the right man, but she continued to lament and shout her fears and accusations.

"There is the monster, he tried to murder the baby! Put him in chains!" She shrieked, wringing her hands and blinking back crocodile tears. Internally, she was angry he failed and was somewhat happy to see that he was getting this treatment,

"Wait. Eloynne hit whoever it was, they were bleeding and left a trail. Check his head." Lilliana said, her voice calm and collected as she spoke. She was holding the baby in her arms, one of the Guards nodding at her and moving Loki's hair around. Sif ran toward them with Hogun following, Fandral approaching from another direction. The Guard stepped back and helped Loki to his feet, the annoyed Ambassador collecting his items and folding a tunic he had dropped neatly over his arm.

"We heard shouts that you had been attacked, that someone tried to harm you and the baby." Sif said, picking up a bottle and a hairbrush. Eloynne felt disgust that such respected warriors aided Loki, he deserved no such respect from anyone. Fandral offered Lilliana his coat, she accepting the garment to cover herself and handed the fair haired warrior her child. Another Guard tended to her foot and she stood with them, her back against the door frame to her chambers as they worked.

"This is the second such attack on Lady Lilliana in a few nights. I am starting to believe that we have a nest of snakes among us." Fandral said, Loki regaining his feet and looking at the gathered persons.

"I hope that what you say is not true." Loki replied and glared at Eloynne. She stepped back and turned this night against him again, holding her hands and pretending to be fragile.

"I saw it all, the cloaked man, he was using magic to attack the child." She said, pointing at Loki and continuing her accusations.

"I saw no such wound Lady Eloynne, Loki is innocent to the crime. I suggest you return to your chambers, you may be questioned later as to what you saw." The Guard said, Loki glowering at her openly.

"I believe the true question is, what were you doing in Lady Lilliana's chambers uninvited Eloynne?" Loki snapped, Sif handing him another item. She thought fast for an excuse, knowing that she could not say what her true motives were.

"I wanted to see the child. I heard that he was such a beautiful and sweet baby that I had to look at him. I knocked, but no one answered the doors, so I thought that just looking would do no harm if I did not disturb anyone." She said, straightening her shoulders and tossing her hair back.

"You were told by Thor, your King, to leave her and her child alone." Sif said and she lowered her eyes. Her father would be angry and beat her when he heard of this, she had to think. Her mind worked, and she remembered details of the attack.

"The magic the Assassin used was green!" She blurted out, Lilliana shaking her head at the revelation. She looked at Loki, and Eloynne knew that she had made her point on the matter. Lilliana would shun him for sure, forcing him away from her and the child for the safety of both.

"Why would Loki harm his own son? Fandral, please escort Eloynne back to her chambers then report to Thor what has happened. He will have the castle searched for the person who was seen, and want to know that all is well." Sif said, taking the child from him and motioning for them to leave. The two women walked back into the Chambers, Loki following and closing the door behind him. Fandral took her arm, leading her away. She could not wait to tell her father of all she had been witness to, the rumors of Loki attempting to kill his own child were enough to destroy him.

Even if they were untrue.

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Sif walked me over to the couch, sitting me down and lifting my foot, Aimee appeared and yawned as she cleaned up the broken basin. She looked like she had been ripped form sleep, and I felt bad that she had to come at this hour to help with the mess. Aulder was heavy in my arms, and I felt shaky and dizzy so I did not put up much of a protest to anything going on. Loki paced, his anger evident as I looked down at the sleeping baby, his peace undisturbed again by the events of the night.

"It is already healed Sif, don't bother with my foot. I am dizzy from everything though and want back in my bed." I said, Aimee checked the bedding and straightened the cloth I had been laying on. I changed the belt only an hour ago to catch the blood from the birth, so I could thankfully pass on that. I doubted I could stand long enough to change it, being so light headed and tired as it were. I stood up, still holding my son and walked over to the bed, stumbling a bit. Loki took the sleeping child and held Aulder to his chest protectively, supporting his head as he walked over to the cradle. Sif helped me back into bed and covered me, giving me a view of Loki kissing the top of his son's head before laying him back down to rest. Sif arranged the pillows and smoothed the covers over me, my friend playing mother hen to me and helping me to calm back down.

"You need rest, I have brothers and sisters, and my mother nearly made herself ill trying to do too much after one was born. I will not have you straining yourself over all this, you cannot care for a child if you are unwell." She scolded, Loki laughing at the both of us.

"Sif and I are in agreement, you should rest but I fear Eloynne spreading lies." Loki quipped, and I sighed as I settled into the pillow behind me.

"That can be dealt with later Loki, I will see that the truth is spread faster." Sif replied and I laughed, I knew she would spread her gossip by starting with the maids. They were terrible at talking about everything they heard, and something as juicy as this would spread like wildfire.

"I know you will." I said, resting and hearing Aimee leave for the night. She yawned and waved at me, and I smiled back at her and waved as she left.

"Tell us both what you saw, Eloynne is a terrible gossip and an Loki could still face scorn from everyone should she spread any rumors of continue with her accusations." Sif said, Loki sitting on the bed next to me. I knew for a fact it could not have been him, and no one could convince me otherwise.

"Loki wanted to get a change of clothes and some things for tomorrow morning, he used the last of the clean clothes in the trunk he keeps here and I was falling asleep. I told him it was fine, and he promised not to be long so I let him. I must have been really tired, because I did not hear anyone come in at all. I remember waking up, and something feeling wrong for some reason. I saw someone standing over the cradle, and Aulder was crying. I thought it was Loki at first, checking on Aulder, but the figure was heavier and wearing a cloak to cover themselves. I screamed for the person to get away from my child and the screen tipped over, Eloynne came out and smashed the basin over his head and he ran out the doors. She screamed for the Guards, and I ran to check on Aulder because he was screaming and I thought he was hurt." I said, shivering and holding back tears. The echoes of the fear filled cries of my baby in my head, he was not even a day old and his life was almost over.

"If she had not been here..." I said and sniffed, my fingers over my mouth.

"I for one am glad she was, as much of a busybody as she is. It was serendipity that she was present to attack the person." Sif said, I looked at Loki and he nodded, he still looked severe however and was not hiding it at all.

"We need to find who dared to attempt this, I want their head delivered to me at once. I want their suffering to be very slow for this act." Loki growled. He was still angry, and his hair was a mess from the search to prove he was innocent. I grabbed his hand and he calmed, cradling mine for the moment as Sif smiled at us. I was angry with the attacker, part of me wanting to beat the hell out of whoever it was. I felt instinct kick into overdrive, and I wanted to take Aulder out of his cradle to sleep close to me so I could protect him.

"They couldn't have gotten far, a wound on the head is difficult to hide. They will be found soon, you need to rest and you are not going to get it fretting over all this." Sif said and I nodded. I did my best to relax, but I still wrestled with everything on my mind at the moment.

"I agree, but we don't know what is going on anymore, or when it will happen again. It could also be anyone doing this, and we need to be careful. I'm just so tired right now, I need sleep and who knows when that tiny tummy is going to wake up needing me." I said and as if on cue, a whimper escaped the cradle. Sif smiled at me and giggled to herself, Loki standing back up and walking over to see what was needed. He lifted the hungry baby up and brought him back over to me, holding a small hand in his as he moved. Sif stood up, preparing to leave and give me some privacy so I could feed Aulder. I took the bundle of blanket and fussy baby, slipping a sheet over my shoulder and unlaced the front of the shift. A little mouth latched onto me and I smiled, feeling like an amazing mother for being able to decipher the whimpers of my baby.

"I will hand pick the Guards to post outside your chamber door, I also hope that you ensure that she gets the rest she needs Loki. Goodnight." She said and left us in peace. Loki sat close by, holding my other hand as I cradled the infant close to me. The sheet fell from my shoulder and he watched the baby feed, his hand letting go of mine to touch the soft down of hair on his head. The tiny hand fussed and rubbed his cheek, I took it away gently before he could scratch himself.

"All of Asgard is celebrating him tonight, they call him 'A New Star.' You can hear everyone laughing and cheering for you, the shining mother of the new heir." Loki said and I smiled at him. He looked proud as a peacock, his smugness coming out from the knowledge that he had a son before Thor. Siblings, they could wear you down at times, but it was fun to watch them outdo one another. I knew he would never harm this baby, and would do anything to protect him as well.

"He is so sweet, I can't see anyone wanting to hurt him. I also knew it was not you, you are way too protective of him and me. And stop thinking it is all about me, they are celebrating you too, he is a perfect piece of you and me. Living and growing as we sit here, he is my heart and it would shatter me to loose him." I said and Loki kissed my cheek.

"You are both my heart, and I would do nothing, nor would I allow any harm to befall either one of you." Loki said, I shifted the baby to my other breast, letting him have as much as he wanted from me. His tiny hand rested over my heart again, and my hand smoothed his feather soft curls. They would thicken with time, filling his entire head, and there would be no mistake who his parents were.

He finished eating and I held him up, resting him back on my legs as I tied the laces on the shift back up. I held him up to my shoulder and rubbed his back, noticing a less than pleasant smell coming from him. I grinned sheepishly at Loki, and he noticed it as well.

"Someone needs to be changed, this sweet little guy is a bit ripe." I grinned and Loki let out a long sigh.

"I assume that you want me to clean him up for you then?" Loki said and I nodded, offering him the baby. Giggling as he wrinkled his nose it the odor, taking the child from my hands and pinching his eyes shut.

"Yeah, just make sure you breathe through your mouth. It is not so bad then." I said and Loki carried him over behind the screen to change Aulder. I heard him arrange everything, preparing himself for the coming smell and the baby whimpered at being exposed to the cold. I secretly hoped it was a blow out, just to give him a bit of revenge for all the pain that I went through during the labor.

"Odin's beard!" Loki exclaimed, and I heard him fill a basin. I giggled to myself, knowing it probably was a bad blow out too. I then heard an exclamation of surprise, and I fought back laughter from my spot on the bed. I saw the shift the baby was wearing get tossed aside, followed by the cloth diaper knowing that something fun had just happened.

"Are you both O.K?" I asked and I could hear Loki let out a long sigh as I heard him rinse off the baby from being washed. I was really impressed the he just bathed the little guy, not just wiping off the poop and trying to cover the smell with perfumes. Maybe he was cut out for fatherhood, I was worried really about that during the pregnancy. I heard him change the water, setting the baby down and carefully use a cloth to wash anything left off. He then dried Aulder, tossing the cloths aside and dressing his son carefully.

"He urinated on me." Loki said and I buried my face into a pillow and shrieked with laughter.

"You forgot to duck." I quipped back at him and laughed harder. Another sound of surprise came from behind the screen and I howled at the sound, knowing that Aulder was giving him a taste of being a parent in spades.

"I hope I am doing this right, I am not instinctively bound by nature into knowing how to clean this child." He said and sighed, knowing I was amused.

"Good thing you brought extra clothes." I said, holding my flattening stomach and laughing into the pillow again. He walked around the screen, handing me the clean and dry baby. I inspected his work and nodded my approval, noting the wet spots on his tunic. He went back and cleaned himself up, throwing the bundle of clothes and cloths into the basket in the servants hall to be collected for washing later. He smoothed his hair as he walked back to me, I smiled down at my baby and giggled.

"I can see how he is your son now. You got him good, didn't you? You peed all over him and he made a funny noise, my little troublemaker." I said, tickling the tiny tummy under my hand, getting a response in the form of little hands curling and a tiny smile. I hugged him close to me and gently smoothed his hair, enjoying the smell of clean baby.

"I think he already adores you." Loki said, stretching out next to me in bed and smiling at us. I kissed his little cheeks, wrapping him in a blanket against the chill and laying him on the bed between us. My hand rested on his belly and Loki put his hand on top of mine, the both of us keeping him safe and warm.

"I adore him right back." I said, looking down at the baby, his little blue eyes closing and drifting to sleep.

"Eloynne is going to spread gossip about tonight." He said, and I rolled my eyes. That bitch was going to be a pain in the ass, and I already knew how to deal with her. I may have even formed a plan and was ready to go on the defensive, my bitch skills were stronger than hers.

"Don't worry about that. She spreads any lies, all I have to do is tell everyone that she was in my room without being invited. I may tell the whole story in fact, leaving out how you got peed on." I said and giggled. He frowned at me, turning onto his back and groaning at the ceiling.

"Please do so, I do not wish to be laughed at or accused of being inept." Loki said and looked at the sleeping baby. I smiled as his fingers touched the top of his head, brushing the wispy curls of black hair. I could see those curls being a bit of a problem in the future, and fighting them to straighten that hair in the mornings. Internally, I looked forward to it and every other task in raising this baby.

"Want to put him back in his bed? It is not really safe to leave him here, he could get smothered if we roll onto him in our sleep." I asked, yawning into my hand and Loki nodded.

"Yes, you need your sleep now. Your gifts are limited when you are healing, and you may need them." Loki said to me and I agreed. He was right after all, and I wanted to be ready for anything else that may happen. I yawned into my hand again, stretching and settling onto my side. He carefully picked up the baby and carried him over to the cradle, settling his son into the cushion on his back. I watched him stand over the child, smiling as he studied the sleeping infant. He walked back to the bed, laying back down next to me and wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Keep us safe." I said, yawning again and his arm tightened around me briefly as I dozed. I felt warm and comfortable, noticing as he lifted the blankest over me to keep me from getting too cold.

"Always, you have my word on it Little Mouse." Loki said, making me smile as I looked at the cradle. I wanted to walk back over and sit next to it all night, never taking my eyes off the baby inside it. Loki would protest, claiming that I needed to care for myself before I could care for Aulder. He was still my greatest worry though, and I was so scared that someone would harm him or take him away.

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Loki stood in the Throne Room, his wife next to him as all gathered looked at the empty throne before them. Something was very wrong, but it did not come to him straight away. They were waiting for something or someone, The Council walking past as they carried Gungnir. Their faces grim and set as they carried out their morbid task, everyone gathered looking on in fear.

Where was Thor and Odin, why was the scepter being carried by this Aleren, and why was no one speaking or laughing? The Councilman stood before him, and he could see Lilliana wipe tears from her eyes.

"Thor cannot rule, Odin is still at rest. The line of succession stands." Raithbourne said, Aleren handing Loki the staff. He walked forward, planting Gungir firmly against the floor and standing before the throne. One by one, everyone assembled knelt before him. Lilliana in the center of a loose circle, she dropped to her knees and cried tears of blood. A pool of red death widened under her and she knelt in the filth, still and calm as she looked around her.

"The empire is fractured." She said, her dress and eyes turning black as all assembled cheered. He face draining of color and she fell to the ground, her last gasps of breath leaving. He cared nothing for the girl dying on the floor, he was finally King and he would rule as a great one.

He saw himself in the crowd, screaming for help as the woman died in his arms, her throat cut and his fingers pressed to the wound. The blood becoming a flood that he could not stop, and his screams being drowned out by a wave of fear and sadness. A man drowning in the blood from his sins.

"You fool! This is done by your hand." The screaming version of himself shouted, choking on his grief and sorrows.

Somewhere, a child cried, it's fear and discomfort carried on the air.

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He woke from the disturbing dream, shaking and moving his hand to find her. The spot on the mattress where she once rested cooling, he sat up looking around the chamber and searched for her. Finding her in the chair next to the fireplace, kissing the baby as she fed him. Her face serene as she sat back and looked at him, a small coo escaping the blanket.

"Someone was hungry again, and he was wet. Sorry to wake you." She said and he shook his head, trying to forget the dream.

"It is a small consequence, I only worried for you when I found you gone." He replied, smiling at the both of them. He fought to shake his fears away, watching her as she gently shifted the baby and smiled at her child. She hummed softly to the infant in her arms, patient and kind as he suckled at her breast. Her small nipple that he had once caressed himself, providing all the child needed.

He knew then, that she would lavish every affection and kindness upon their son, just as Frigga had given him. The smile on his face turned sad, remembering the last words he said to her. Those poisoned words spat into her face by an imprisoned man, his anger and rage wrongfully directed at her. He cursed his arrogance, hoping that he had her forgiveness.

"Am I not your Mother?" She asked him, her eyes filled with hope that she would still have some semblance of the son she raised. Not the monster he had become, not the arrogant creature who lusted for something that was never his.

"You are not." He said, her form vanishing to never be seen again. Those last awful words echoing through his mind now, hoping that the woman in the chair would never hear those words from her children.

Hoping for forgiveness from the woman who cared for and nurtured him through his youth. He smiled, thinking about Frigga hovering over her shoulder, watching over the baby Lilliana held now. He hoped she forgave him.

Wherever she was.