Over the next month, the couple kept to their chambers as much as possible. Loki worried about Maryn ceaselessly. She had become quiet and was plagued by night terrors, crying out and thrashing against invisible foes, before waking and becoming so distraught he resorted to mixing draughts to enable her to sleep peacefully as much as possible. Despite this she had become pale and had lost weight as she was reluctant to eat because she would become sick if she worked herself up too much.

Zan became a source of comfort to Maryn and would visit her and sit with her if Loki was called away to meet with his father or the council. Begrudgingly, the Dark Prince allowed the visits but always made sure one of Maryn's hand-maidens stayed with her if he could not be there when the Mithrosian male visited.

Ulf was banished from court, his title stripped and his wealth and lands given to Maryn as recompense; one of the harshest sentence that could be given to any for attacking and attempting to rape a woman of Asgard. Loki had fought to have him executed but Odin denied his request for blood. Wanting nothing to do with Ulf's possessions, Maryn refused them and asked Odin to give everything to Sigyn. Loki tried to talk her out of her decision but she wasn't to be swayed.

Tora made sure her mistress sat out on the balcony of her chambers so she was getting fresh air and sunlight and with visits from Frigga, Thor, the Warriors Three, Sif, Zan and even Odin, Maryn began to slowly improve. Loki wondered all the same if she would ever return to who she had been before and hated Ulf all the more because of what had been taken from the woman he loved in those few minutes.

The royal couple's supporters in the court took to spurning Sigyn for what her husband had done to their beloved princess. Sigyn, however, revelled in the chaos caused by Ulf. She was now free of him and his rages and to add to her glee, she had his land and wealth without having to be tied to him. Her followers also made sure they spread rumours that Ulf had succeeded in ruining Maryn and that a child had resulted from the forced encounter which was why she was closeted away.

The gossip soon reached Odin and Frigga's ears and they called their son and his wife to their meeting chamber to speak privately with them.

"They are saying she is ruined and, what's more, the talk is that Maryn is pregnant with his child," Frigga explained gently, watching her son pace behind the chair where Maryn sat staring blankly out the open doors that led to a balcony to her right.

"Your mother and I believe that to stop all this foolish gossip you both need to be seen entertaining, mingling with the Aesir, and showing everyone that you are healing and there is no secret to protect." Odin spoke firmly, also noticing how distant Maryn seemed and how pale and drawn she had become.

Starting when Loki stopped his pacing and pressed his hand to her shoulder, Maryn looked up at the Allfather and his wife, "And if that doesn't calm the talk?" she asked quietly.

Sharing a look with Frigga, Odin spoke again, "Then, if there is no pregnancy announced or child born within the next few months, there will be no foundation for these lies and they will fade away."

Turning her gaze back to the balcony, Maryn nodded, wordlessly agreeing to the plan.

The silence that followed was deafening and only broke when Loki spoke, his tone hard but voice calm, "The next feast will be father's birthday celebration in a week. We will stay away from court until then and that will be where we show the gossips at court that we are unaffected by what has happened."

Standing abruptly, Maryn crossed the room and stopped at the foot of the steps that led up to the open doorway of the balcony. Sensing the tension between their son and good-daughter, Odin and Frigga took their leave, the Allmother pressing a kiss to Maryn's forehead before she followed her husband from the room to allow the couple to talk privately.

"Maryn," Loki spoke quietly, trying to keep his annoyance in check as he moved to stand behind her.

Interrupting him, the brunette kept her gaze on the sky, "I agree with what we have decided to do. It is only…" she trailed off, shivering as though it was Winter and not nearing Autumn.

Loki did not reach out to pull her into his arms as he would have weeks before, instead he stepped up to stand next to her, waiting for her to turn and lean into him, accepting the warmth his body offered. "It is only…?" he asked winding his arms around her.

"He said something that has confused me."

They both knew whom she was speaking of and Loki tensed, his fingers lifting her chin so that she was looking up at him, "Whatever, Ulf said it was either a lie or meant nothing, sweet one. Banish it from your mind."

Maryn sighed sadly, "It is not that…he spoke of how he knew I enjoyed when our love-making was rough," she swallowed down her embarrassment, "It was as if he had seen us that day in the bathing pool, or that he heard of it from someone that had."

Dark brows drawn together in thought Loki shook his head, "That is impossible, Maryn. The only ones that could have come across us were the servants. I have had no need of a man-servant for years and your hand-maidens had left us before I took you."

"How then would he have known that, not only were you…forceful, but that I had enjoyed it?" Maryn blushed this time and looked away only to have Loki turn her to face him and press his mouth to hers in a heated kiss.

When they broke apart, the Trickster laid his lips against her forehead, pulling her closer as he rolled her words around in his mind.

"Loki?" she murmured, worried he was angry with her over the revelation.

With a deep sigh, he pulled away and looked down at her, "Your cousin-."

She cut him off with a look, "Zan had only just arrived and would gain nothing from telling Lord Ulf of our time together." She said firmly.

With a dry look, but unable to fault her logic no matter how much it grated on him, Loki agreed. "Then it falls to your maids. They are the only ones that would be able to enter our chambers without our permission or the use of magic."

"Tora would never do such a thing. She hates that man almost as much as I and she despises Sigyn as well." Maryn told him.

"What, pray tell, does the Lady Sigyn have to do with any of this?" Loki asked surprised at the line of thought she was following.

It was Maryn's turn to throw him a look, "I highly doubt he was able to come up with a scheme to spy on us so that he could use the knowledge to hurt me without help from his devoted wife." Her words were harsh and Loki had to hide a smirk of satisfaction at seeing the heat in her gaze, something that had been lacking since the attack. "Then we must find out the truth, sweet one."

The quality of his voice had changed and drew Maryn's gaze, which had turned once more to the balcony and the world outside it, to his own. She saw the darkening of his eyes and felt heat stirring deep in her belly, something which she hadn't experienced since the night of Frigga's birthday celebration. Their love-making was gentle and slow now, but the passion she had once felt at every look and touch from her husband had noticeably been missing between them. Suddenly all it took was a burning glance and she was aching for him to take her to bed.

Pushing away the need, she chose to ignore it. The pressing matter of who was spying on her and Loki causing her to forget all else for the moment. "How do you suggest we find who has been watching us and reporting to Sigyn, my love?"

Chancing that she would not pull away, Loki held her a little tighter and dipped his head to press a soft kiss to her neck revelling in the small shiver of enjoyment that ran through her body and the way she pressed harder against him. "Tell each one a different secret, one that could become a weapon in the right hands. If Sigyn uses the words against you, we will know which maid must be dismissed."

Maryn's breath caught in her lungs as he kissed her throat again and she couldn't stop a soft moan from falling from her parted lips. "…And what would you ask me to say?" she murmured, her voice wavering as he laced his fingers in her loose hair, tipped her head to the side, and set about brushing small kisses to the column of her neck. She felt the tall Aesir smile against her skin.

"Tell one you have lost a babe, another you have taken Zan as your lover, and the third that you are bored with the monotony of our love making." He flashed a grin and wrapped a battle hardened arm low around her waist, pulling her tight to his body, "All of which are a lie, but the falsehoods must be believable."

Maryn gasped as his teeth nipped at her pulse-point and her fingers dug into his shoulders. "I-if this is to be believed, Loki, we must not be seen like this."

He hummed and pressed his lips to the sensitive skin below her ear, "Like what, sweet one?"

She realised he was unlacing her gown and reached back to catch his wrist, pulling away a little to look up into his heated gaze, her irises blown wide with her lust which had returned with a ferocity so strong her magic was calling to his own, "If my maids are to believe we are estranged and that what I tell them is true, we cannot be seen together. If I had truly lost a child they would more than likely assume I would be pulling away from you, wrapped in my own grief, with Zan as a lover I would not need your touch, and if I was uninterested in being bedded by my husband then I would not allow him to touch me as you are doing now."

Loki's lips bowed up with a sly smile, "I could come to you disguised as your lover," he suggested, his voice a velvet rasp that almost broke Maryn's resolve.

She glared at him, "I would prefer that you do not come to our bed in the form of my cousin, my lord."

Raising a dark brow the prince sighed, "Very well, woman. I will leave your chambers in my disguise while one of the maids is watching."

Nodding, Maryn reached up almost hesitantly and ran her fingers though his hair, "Make sure it is Bjorna, and I will tell Gaia that I have lost a babe and Kersin that I wish not to have you in my bed again."

"Then it seems our trap is set, sweet one," Loki said his deep voice enticing.

"Yes, it does, my lord," his little wife nodded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The evening of Odin's birthday feast came quickly. The plan Loki and Maryn had agreed on was ready and each maid had been told, or been witness to, a different lie. Tora had also been included so that she was not worried by anything she heard from one of the other lady's-maids. The Mithrosian was large with her child and couldn't have cared either way as she only hoped the relationship of her mistress and master was mended.

Maryn dressed in the gown Frigga had helped her design for the palace dress-makers. It was made of ornate gold lace and chiffon with a wide band at the waist that clearly showed she was not with child. The open neck showed off her delicate throat and collarbones and the three-quarter sleeves were embroidered with gold thread. She wore Loki's pendant, her wedding ring, gold filigree earrings, and a thick, gold filigree bangle. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun at the back of her neck with small curls framing her face.

She hadn't seen Loki since they decided on their plot and hoped that by the end of the night he would be back in their chambers. He had stayed away to lend truth to Maryn's lies to her maids and had been spending his nights in another part of the palace. The need to have the whole thing over and done with was great and she hoped everything would work out as they wanted it to.

She and Tora walked to the feasting hall together and made sure that they were ideally located to come into contact with Sigyn or one of her loyal friends. The celebration was well under way by the time anything was said and Maryn had hardly been able to eat, her stomach was in knots and she wished that it was all over with already. When she was finally caught up in a discussion with Sigyn and a group of other ladies, Maryn held tightly to Tora's hand as she waited for the inevitable verbal barb to be thrown. It wasn't long in coming but when she heard it, she wasn't prepared for the wave of sadness and betrayal she felt at knowing who had revealed such intimate information.

Sigyn turned from the conversation she was leading to look at Maryn with a sickly sweet smile on her face, "I have it on good authority, my lady that you have taken a certain lord to your bed. Are we to believe that Prince Loki's many talents have come to bore you?"

Lifting her chin, Maryn smirked, "I do not know what you are speaking of, Lady Sigyn. The only man to join me in my chambers is my husband."

"Am I to believe that my wife is involved with another man?" Loki asked from behind Maryn and Tora.

Sigyn grinned triumphantly, "A dear friend saw Lord Zan leaving your bedchamber late one night and your wife was the only occupant, Loki."

The Dark Prince dropped his hands to Maryn's waist, "Is this true, sweet one?" he asked his voice pitched low.

Trying not to think about Bjorna's treachery Maryn lowered her eyes to the floor, her hands grasping Loki's to hide their shaking, "It is not, my love. I have had no man in my bedchamber save you."

Humming his agreement Loki leaned down and kissed her neck, unable to stop himself as the position he was standing in gave him complete access to it and her shoulders, "Then you must be mistaken."

Sigyn scoffed, "You would believe your ruined wife over me?" she snapped angrily, "My source saw it with her own eyes."

Sensing Loki's magic swell Maryn looked up to see Sigyn's mouth drop open in shock. "I was in disguise, lady," Loki said, his countenance magically altered to look like Zan's. "There were rumours that my wife was ruined and pregnant with Ulf's child. The only way to find out where these rumours originated was to set a trap and make it look as if she was entertaining another while I was away. But the truth would have been found if one was to look at the eyes, lady. Those are the hardest to change." And it was true, where Zan had brown eyes; Loki's enchanted visage had his sharp green gaze. He dropped the glamour and sneered at the women around him and his wife and her maid. "I should have known it was the cruel notions of those that are embittered by rejection that imagined these rumours. Now, if you would excuse me, I want my wife."

Maryn blushed at his words but saw Tora's grin and returned it before allowing her husband to lead her away from the deathly silent women. But she stopped Loki outside the Great Hall, "We must dismiss Bjorna."

Anger filled his eyes at the mention of the maid that had broken her fidelity to Maryn. "Let us summon her and have done with this."

Once back at their chambers, Maryn called for Bjorna and took a seat on the sofa in the meeting room, Loki standing behind the chaise to allow Maryn her space to do what she had to.

Bjorna entered the room silently and curtsied before standing quietly and waiting for her mistress to speak.

"I have been betrayed, Bjorna," Maryn spoke firmly. "Lord Ulf was given information that was not for him to know and then his wife was told I allowed Zan into my bedchamber…You have been a faithful maid and I had thought you a friend, but I was obviously wrong."

Bjorna lifted her leaf-green eyes to Maryn and Loki and swallowed hard, no doubt scared of what was to come next. She withered under the wrathful gaze of the prince.

"I trusted you, Bjorna," Maryn said fighting tears. "How could you tell the lady Sigyn things that should have been kept to yourself?"

Bjorna stepped forward looking scared, "My lady, please, I-."

She was cut off by Loki's words, "What did she offer you that would entice a betrayal such as this after everything your mistress had endured?" Looking away the pretty maid wrung her hands and mumbled an answer. Loki slammed his hand down on the small wooden table beside the chaise making Bjorna jump in fright and Maryn close her eyes against the tears filling them. "Speak!"

"Loki," Maryn's voice was soft and she reached out for his hand, holding tight to it as she looked at her maid. "Tell me what she offered you, Bjorna."

Tears starting to slide down her cheeks the maid dropped to her knees, "Please, my lady. She-she offered a marriage that would help my family. We are destitute. My father has lost everything to dice and drink and I have three sisters to care for."

"You could have come to me," Maryn said realising the poor girl was scared and desperate. "Why did you not speak to me of this?"

Sobbing openly now, Bjorna shook her head; "I was ashamed. The only way I can help my family is if I marry well and secure good marriages for my sisters."

Maryn nodded, her gaze dropping to her hands when she let go of Loki's and clasped them in her lap, his palm pressing to her shoulder in a silent show of support. "I know of four lords that have wealth and property and are searching for their match. Leave the matter with me and I will see you and your sisters married."

"Oh, thank you, my lady," Bjorna sobbed even harder at the news, "Thank you, thank you!"

"However," Maryn stopped her but didn't look at her, "You are dismissed from my service."

Lowering her head, Bjorna nodded, "I understand, Your Majesty. Please forgive my stupidity and betrayal."

With a quick nod Maryn granted her clemency.

When the silence stretched on Loki took control sensing his wife was overcome by emotions and wanted the matter finished. "Go and pack your things you will be leaving the palace in the morning. Nothing will be said of your disloyalty but you are no longer to be a part of this household."

Sadly Bjorna curtsied and then turned and left the room knowing she had no right to ask to stay.

Maryn sighed out a breath and leaned back against into the sofa cushions rubbing her eyes tiredly, "It is over," she murmured.

Loki moved around the large piece of furniture to sit beside her, "It is, sweet one. You are free now." He waited for her to break down but was pleasantly surprised to see that she did not. Instead, the petite woman turned her gaze to her handsome husband, admiring his sharp cheekbones, piercing gaze and inviting lips. "Freedom has made me hungry, my lord," she said standing up and brushing imaginary wrinkles from her gown, "Please call for some fruit and wine to be brought to our chambers and then join me in our bed." She said the words easily but Loki saw the blush on her cheeks and tension in her body as she spoke, almost as if she was worried about his reaction to her request. Lifting her gaze to his she smiled coyly, "I wish to enjoy my freedom."

With a slow smirk, Loki watched her curtsy teasingly and then disappear into their bedchamber. He did as she asked, conjuring her favourite wine and a platter of sweet fruit and carrying the plate and pitcher into their bedroom to find her stepping out of her gown which was pooled around her feet.

She turned to look up at him, dressed only in her shift. Waving her hand she sent her gown to her wardrobe and pulled the pins from her hair letting the heavy locks tumble down her back in dark curls.

"It has been too long, sweet one," Loki murmured watching her turn and walk toward their bed.

"It has, my lord husband," Maryn felt Loki move to stand behind her, the platter and wine decanter floating to a small table nearby so that his hands were free to tangle in her hair and wrap around her waist. She leaned back into him with a soft sigh.

"The slights Sigyn caused," Loki spoke almost hesitantly, "They are something you will have to live with because of our marriage, Maryn."

Turning in his arms, Maryn looked up into his gentle gaze, "And I will gladly do so if it means I am by your side until death parts us, Loki."

He reached up and ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek, "For that I will be eternally grateful, my love." He then leaned down over her and pressed his mouth to hers, both of them becoming lost in each other for the rest of the night and into the next morning.