Aslaug

Maebh walked slowly between the stalls, looking at all the goods for sale. Many of the townspeople saluted the princess, glad to see her well again after the turbulent birth of hers and Prince Loki's second child. She had missed the town as she came toward the end of carrying Vali and had been forced to remain at home. With Vali asleep wrapped close to her, she selected a leather belt with a loop to hold a sword as a small gift for Loki.

Loki was currently speaking with Odin and Heimdall as Thor was in Midgard with many of the warriors, leaving more duties than usual for the younger prince to fulfil, especially with Odin feeling so weak. Ásvaldr was also due to visit within days of the warriors return, and with what had happened in Svartalfheim, Loki was adamant that there would be no retaliation or issue of any sort in Asgard.

Nafi was due to complete his days training soon, so while she waited for both her older son and husband to conclude their work, Maebh found herself simply enjoying walking around, enjoying the warm spring weather.

She suddenly felt a cold sensation crawl down her spine; she looked around to see what could have caused it, and froze when she came face to face with a scathing glare from a red haired woman.

"You!" The woman spat, her voice was laced in venom.

"Aslaug, my, you look dreadful." Maebh smiled, her tone polite.

"You think yourself to be humorous?"

"I think myself to be already bored of speaking with you and wishing to get on with my day." She stated, maintaining the smile.

"You took everything that was mine." The fallen woman snapped.

"You lost it all yourself with your own actions. You chose to lie with a dog; it cannot be helped if you then arose with fleas." Maebh hissed lowly, trying not to bring attention to them.

"You think yourself so grand. I always knew he wanted nothing but to bed you and you him it would seem, and I see you carried the fool's runt." The scornful woman glared at the cloth that assisted the princess to carry Vali.

"If you dare so much as look at my son, I will end you Aslaug." Maebh swore through gritted teeth.

"Speaking of son's, how is mine? I really should pay him a visit."

"Stay away from Nafi, he is no more your son than that rock." Maebh pointed to a nearby stone.

"I carried him."

"That means nothing; you were no mother to that boy. I would even wager that faced with you now, he would hardly know who you are. He is deserving of his place in the house of Odin, just as you are deserving of your place within a brothel."

"Why you little…" Aslaug went to take a step forward.

"Maebh, I was wondering where you had….you." Loki stared at his ex-wife. "Maebh, is everything alright?" Loki could not but notice Aslaug's posture or the tension, walking closer to Maebh as though attempting to get between her and the deranged looking woman that was appeared fit to attack her.

"Quite so, unless Aslaug was going to make good on her threat upon us." Maebh replied casually as she checked Aslaug's face for a response.

"Get yourself back to whatever cess pit you crawled out of you foul wench before I have you arrested and tried for treason, lest you forget that as my wife, and indeed in her own right, Maebh is royalty, and in turn my son is a prince."

Aslaug snarled and turned to leave. "Well, hers is a face I would happily do with never seeing again." Maebh commented before looking to her husband. "Loki?"

"I never could have thought it possible to loathe that harlot any more, clearly I was wrong."

"Nice choice of words." Maebh smiled. "She does not bear thinking of." She tried to relieve the bad tension emanating from her husband. "I got you something." She held up his gift.

"Why ever would you do that?" Loki looked at her grinning as he took it.

"Why not, surely I can get my husband a small token?" She smiled.

"Thank you sweetheart, you really are too kind." Loki kissed her gently before looking down to Vali still sleeping wrapped in cloth against her and smiling even wider. "Let us meet Nafi at the training ground and go home. I could do with some rest."

"As could I, I am still not back to full strength, carrying this little guy around is more tiring than I would have thought." Loki looked at her in concern. "It is nothing to worry about my dear, I am just a tired new mother, it is very normal." She stated, hoping to sooth his fretting, thankfully, he accepted her explanation and they continued towards were Nafi was training. Loki taking a quick look around to ensure there was no one paying too great a heed as they left the market.

X

That evening when the children were asleep, Loki and Maebh sat by the hearth, Loki telling her of all that Odin had discussed with him that day. "You are not the slight bit interested in anything I am saying, are you Maebh?" He asked as he watched her. He had been awaiting a reply to something he had asked her, but was instead only met with Maebh staring into the fire, not paying any attention to him. She did not respond again. "Maebh?" She finally looked at him, her face however, caused him to realise it was not out of disinterest or even tiredness that she was not listening to him. He leant forward toward her. "Darling, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, I simply zoned out, what were you saying?" She dismissed with a small smile, though it did not reach her eyes.

"Maebh darling, do not take me for a fool, I can see something is clearly concerning you. Please, I beseech you, tell me."

"Her."

"What of her, she is of no importance; you said that all she did was give out of her perceived injustices."

"She swore she would come visit Nafi soon."

"She would not dare." Loki snarled. "I will have her impaled on my sword if she so much as sets foot on our lands." He took a deep breath before continuing to calm himself. "I do not think she will, why would she? Why now? She has not attempted anything of the sort before now."

"I think she may." Maebh stated. "I genuinely think that her seeing that we had a child today has caused her to focus her attentions on us, on our family."

"I think you worry about something that you need not worry about, my dear." Loki dismissed. "She has done some truly terrible things, that I will admit, but I do not think she will concern herself with a child she never cared for to begin with."

"I just worry that she will try and ruin his life in whatever manner she can. He is so happy; I do not want her to take that from him."

"I will not allow it, we will not allow it."

"You know he is friends with Barwin Tyrson." Loki stared at her. "He has requested that he join the boy and his brothers for a fishing trip some day there is no training."

Loki found it near impossible to respond. The idea of Nafi befriending his biological sibling concerned him greatly. If the boy were to realise they were related, it may not end well. "We cannot allow it."

"That will only cause more questions from him."

"Maebh if Tyr's wife sees Nafi, she will be under no illusions, he looks like him."

"I am aware." There was coldness in Maebh's voice with those words.

"I mean it, it is not to occur." Loki stated authoritively.

Knowing that Loki was not likely to be swayed, Maebh thought of a compromise. "What if we allow the boy here?" Loki looked at her; his expression told her he was not convinced. "If they are here, we are able to watch what happens with them, we control the environment."

"Maebh, you are not thinking ahead, if the boys interact outside of their lessons, then it is but a matter of time before she sees him."

"She will see him some time regardless, this is hardly the largest area in the world."

"Maebh." Loki's voice was filled with warning; she defiantly stared back at him. He slumped visibly. "I just want to protect him."

"And we shall, to the best of our abilities, but we cannot force him not to befriend people so to pray he may not find out. I think this Barwin boy to be crude, but I do not wish to dictate to our son who he befriends. These are the men he will battle beside in times yet to come."

"How do you do it? How do you stay so diplomatic?" Loki forfeited.

"It is not as easy as you make it seem. I have to force myself to think of the greater picture."

"Well, my dear, all-seeing wife, you are a better person than I for it. Come, lets get some rest." He rose from his seat. "And as concerned as you are with regards Aslaug, I think you need to rest assured, she will not try anything so stupid as to come for Nafi."

X

Loki could only agree with his wife, Barwin was as crude as his father had been. Nafi may look as Tyr had, but in mannerisms, Barwin was the true Tyrson. It ached his mind to see Nafi interact with the other boy, they were so similar in age Tyr had clearly gotten both women with child in a short time. He thought back to Aslaug carrying Nafi, and of the time she would had conceived him, he had figured out that it was on one of his hunting trips that the bastard had impregnated his wife. The galling part was, he recalled the trip even after he realised that Nafi was not his. He had seen Tyr not far from the turn off to the fishing hamlet towards his old dwelling, and had been oblivious enough to stand up talking to the other man for several minutes before he kicked the horse on, not realises he was talking to his wife's other lover who was more than likely on his way to her. That ate at him for some time.

He turned slightly when Maebh came up beside him, holding Vali in her arms. Immediately he reached over and took his son from her, looking down at the small sleeping bundle wrapped warmly in a fur. "He is so perfect."

"I know. We are the envy of your brother and his wife."

"That is a first, to what do we owe the honour?"

"A quiet and happy baby, Modi is still as angry as when you left."

"Oh dear." Loki winced as he thought of the severe lack of sleep the house of Thor was enduring. He looked to the dark haired bundle in his arms. "Not all can be as lucky as us."

"I fear he gives off a false impression of parenthood." Maebh smiled. She watched as Loki stared at the infant. "He is yours you know."

Loki looked up at his wife; she had a peculiar look on her face, as though pleading with him to believe her. "I never doubted it. Maebh; you are not her, I never thought you were, I know you would not do as she has done."

"The way you look at him, as though you fear to let yourself care for him too much, as though afraid that he too is not…" She silenced as the two boys approached. "You two must be hungry." She smiled at them. Now they were next to one another, she found herself comparing them. Their eyes were similar, mud brown in colour and similarly shaped.

"Yes thank you mother." Nafi smiled, oblivious to the conversation that had been taken place just before.

"Well then, you know where the table is, show your guest in." Loki suggested.

"Why are you holding the baby?" Barwin asked staring at Loki with Vali in his arms.

"I am his father, why would I not?" Loki frowned, baffled as to why the boy would ask such a thing.

"My father used not want to hold us."

"Each man is different, but I see nothing odd about holding my children." Loki dismissed politely, not wanting to tell the boy what the role of a father was.

The two boys ate and drank in relative quiet, with just the occasional word about their training. After they finished, Loki offered to bring the boy home, but he was informed his oldest sister would be by soon for him. With a nod, Loki left the boys to their discussions.

After a short period, they came over to the two adults, who were again discussing Ásvaldr's impending visit. The pair ceased talking and looked at the boys. "Can we help you both?" Maebh asked kindly.

"Father, you went to Midgard with Tyr didn't you?" Nafi asked. Loki and Maebh felt their blood run cold simultaneously.

"Yes." Loki elongated the word as he looked between the two boys again.

"Did you know him well?" Barwin asked.

"Not particularly. Just from the raids."

"How did he die?" The boy asked innocently.

Maebh found herself unable to remain, she bolted up from the chair and walked towards the bedroom as fast as she could go, startling the children as she did so. "She must have thought she heard the baby cry." Loki dismissed. "He died in a village raid, as can happen anyone." He shrugged. Barwin nodded. "Did no one ever tell you this?" The boy shook his head. "I am sorry that I cannot tell you anymore. It was in the heat of battle, you do not realise everything occurring around you in such situations. You will see yourselves someday."

"When we go there, we shall avenge him." Nafi patted his friends shoulder.

"Excuse me." Loki rose from his seat almost as fast as Maebh had and went to the bedroom, not surprised to see Maebh pacing. "Darling." She put her hands up, silently pleading with him to say no more. "They are just children."

"I thought I could handle it, I was doing fine until…"

"You owe no excuses." Loki whispered. "We will talk more later when the boy is gone and Nafi is not nearby." He took her in an embrace and kissed her forehead.

"It's not their fault." She whispered.

"No."

"I can do this."

"I never doubted you."

"I woke the baby." She sighed.

"He–What?"

"Vali, he's awake."

Loki looked over to the basket and sure enough, a slightly miffed looking Vali was blowing bubbles from his small pursed lips as he tried to free his arms from the swaddled fur. "Gods that child is a dream."

Soon after, Barwin's sister did arrive, Loki and Maebh orchestrating it so the girl did not see Nafi, who they found out had never met her before. Loki thought her old enough to recall her father, and did not wish for her to see his other son.

"Thank you for letting him here." Nafi stated over dinner.

His parents looked at one another. "Why wouldn't we?"

Nafi shrugged. "I just thought you might not allow it."

Loki shifted in his chair. "Nafi, any of your friends are welcome here any time that is prearranged, alright?" The boy nodded. "Good, now, about the horse riding." Nafi's eyes lit up.