Chapter 38

Devian slept soundly throughout the night with Shiva pulled close. He'd taken his time with her until all fear and anxiety vanished from her face and she was pulling at him and sighing for more. In the end she held no more reservation about what the bedroom would entail and she gladly accepted his attentions when he woke hours after their first union only to have her again.

Devian was happy this was how it was turning out. A part of him had feared she would never trust him. That she would forever view their marriage as a necessity and nothing more. He was glad to be a wrong. She seemed as eager to make this work as he did. He had plans to spend the rest of his night and day in bed with her alone. Finally, fully alone. There was no Mako to worry about and no other prying ears for that matter.

"Have you seen mother?" Diana asked barging into Devian's room early the next day, the sun wasn't even up yet, and waking him and Shiva from their peaceful slumber.

"Diana!" Devian yelled covering himself and his new wife. He had been sleeping soundly next to Shiva until his sister deciding to come in uninvited. "You can't just come waltzing into my room anymore." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh she'll get used to me. We're sisters now." Diana told him and smiled at Shiva, who was hidden up to her nose by blankets. Diana threw open the curtains to reveal the dim light of a rising sun.

"I'm serious Diana, get out." Devian didn't get angry often, but right now he was pretty irritated with his sister's lack of respect for his privacy.

"I'm serious too. Mother's not in her room I'm worried." She said thumping her ass onto his bed and giving him a serious look. Devian glared daggers at her.

"Diana are you that blind? Where do you think she is?" Devian growled. Diana began shaking her head in a disbelieving manner.

"She wouldn't do that!" She protested loudly, clearly she knew what Devian meant.

"Have you forgotten how we were conceived?" He asked her annoyed.

"No!" She snapped. "It's just why would she? With him!" She got off the bed and began pacing. Devian looked to his wife and sighed whispering an apology to her. Shiva stared at him a tiny smile on her lips and a blush to her cheeks.

"Look our mother has needs like the rest of us. You might not understand that yet, but I do. She needs to feel touch and a warm embrace sometimes. Father is her best option considering their history. She obviously has an attraction to him. Would you rather she whore'd around to different men?" Devian finally asked exasperated.

"No." Diana did not want her mother to start sleeping around with a bunch of men. "He's only using her." Diana frowned and sat back down her elbows on her knees and his chin in her hands.

"They think they are using each other. I've told you before they care for one another even if they refuse to see it." Devian pointed out.

"Mother is too soft hearted to use anyone just for sex. I believe you when you say she likes him, but he's going to break her heart. He doesn't strike me as the tender love and caring kind." Diana frowned.

"I'm sure she knows what she's getting herself into. Let her play out her life as she wants." Devian warned his sister. Diana didn't look at him. She just continued to sulk. "Now get out of my room. This is the day after my wedding night and I would love to spend it alone with my new wife." He nudged his sister with his foot. "If you want mother so badly go knock on fathers door. I guarantee you she's in there," He said.

Diana turned her head, glared at him and left. Before she was gone completely, she gave a small apology to Shiva for waking her, but much to Devian's dismay she showed no signs of regretting her invasion of their privacy. "Your sister doesn't like your father?" Shiva asked when Diana was gone. She had a curious look on her face. Devian led back on to his side and popped his head up on his hand beside her.

"Diana has a rocky relationship with our father and she thinks he's not good enough to be with our mother." He explained as simply as possible.

"They are not married?" Shiva turned her whole body closer to him.

"No. They met before we were born and had one wonderful night of pleasure together before they separated. Afterwards, my mother found out she was pregnant, but had no way to tell our father. We only met him this year." Shiva made an 'O' shape with her mouth as she nodded her understanding.

"Do you want them together?" She inquired.

"I do. I would like to see my mother happy. Unlike my sister I realize there is a connection between our parents that goes beyond just lust. Sometimes I think even my parents are blind to how they completely feel. I stay out of it though. It's between them. If they marry I'll be more than happy to support them as they have supported me." He smiled and placed his head down on the pillow reaching his arms out to wrap around his wife.

"Are you happy to have married me?" She asked almost timidly.

"I am. Are you glad to be married to me?" He asked in return.

"I was afraid of what it might be like." She admitted. "But, it is nothing as I imagined." She chewed her lip nervously.

"I didn't grow up here in Asgard and so my views about your people are different. You're just another race of people, you're no less worthy to know tender touches and be genuinely cared for." He explained his fingers tickling up and down her arm.

"Things are different home." She began. Devian's interest was peeked.

"In what way?" He pondered.

"Marriages rarely happen. It's mostly blood unions now. They used to keep blood unions for the higher blood families so they could have strong heirs, but now there are less of us and many high ranking blood families are dead." She continued. "Sex is just used to create offspring. There is no real enjoyment as you've shown me. Just the need to rebuild a suffering realm." Devian frowned.

"I'm sorry. My father caused that destruction." He told her feeling slightly ashamed for his father's harsh actions.

"Don't be sorry. It wasn't you and it can't be changed. I'm surprised they made me do this." Devian's eyes darted right back to her at that moment.

"Made you?" He questioned. Shiva sat up looking a little worried she had said something wrong.

"I meant no offence. I like it here, like it with you." She scrambled to fix her statement.

"Shiva don't worry about offending me. I didn't take your situation with anger, it's just I was told you volunteered," He said calmly her.

"Had you been told I was commanded to marry you, would you have been so open-minded about this?" She asked. Devian frowned. He knew he would have had reservations. Forcing someone to do anything was wrong. "I was afraid at first, but now I'm not. Please believe me. I'm happy to be here." Her hands grasped his arms pleadingly. Now that they were both sitting he was reminded how tall she was. He turned his face up toward her and gave her a smile.

"I do understand." He told her. "So why were you surprised? Is it because you're a runt?" It was his turn to worry he might offend her.

"Yes. Ones like me, runts you call them, aren't allowed to have children. We need strong warriors not small frail ones like me. That they chose me to create a new king for our realm is an honor, but also frightening. Mako has reminded me several times I should feel blessed and not to screw this up. All of Jotunheim is depending on me." Devian had put a hand to his head. It didn't make since. If they were afraid runts would cause weak warriors why send Shiva and not a stronger woman? He didn't voice this to Shiva. Not now. He would not probe her for every little detail hoping he could figure out this odd scenario. At least he wouldn't ask her today.

Devian smiled instead and moved her to her back. "I'm honoured to be able to help you bring your people hope." He told her while she smiled allowing him to move her how he liked. She was so much different from the tense girl the night before. He would make this work. This marriage would be one everyone would remember for decades to come.

(Diana)

Diana stood outside her father's chamber doors for what seemed like forever. She wanted to knock, but then a little voice inside her head told her not to and that her mother wouldn't be in there. Then, another little voice would speak up and tell her Devian was right. Finally, she stepped forward and gave a heavy knock to the door. She waited. The large oak door drowned out the noises inside, but the length of time she was waiting made her stomach drop. Her mother was most certainly in there, either that he was with some other woman.

Not surprisingly her father opened the door. He was thankfully wearing at least his pants. "Diana!" He said surprised.

"I need Mother." Was all she said in return trying her best not to kill Loki with her glare. Loki said nothing and opened the door more. In the middle of the room stood her mother in her dress from the night before. Diana felt disappointed that she had indeed spent the night with their father. Was it so wrong for Diana to want better for her mother than to be just another sex toy?

"Diana, what's wrong?" Cephera asked her. Clearly she felt uncomfortable being caught there.

"I need your healing." Diana told her trying her best to ignore the situation that was none of her business.

"Are you hurt? Is Devian hurt?" Her mother's eyes had gone slightly wide and worried.

"No, no. Nothing life-threatening. Can you just come with me and I'll show you." She huffed.

"I'll join you." Loki offered already throwing on a tunic.

"I'd rather you didn't. People fear you." She pointed out. Loki looked perplexed. "Look I have a wounded friend from the party last night and let's face it you're not the face common folk want to see." Diana chided. Loki raised an eyebrow. He looked even more interested in going now. In fact, he smirked and straightened his clothes and followed them. Diana couldn't really stop him and so she just brooded about it all the way to her room.

She opened the door to reveal the boy she had shot with an arrow almost two hours prior. His name was Cole and he had refused to go to the palace healer afraid he would get into trouble. With him was his sister, who had come running only to find Diana huddled over her wounded brother and she freaked out a little. "Mother, father this is Cole and Cosette," Diana said calmly. Her mother was already by the bed as Cole sat up with the help of his sister. He was cringing in pain.

"Diana why didn't you take him to the palace healing room?" Her mother said with a heavy sigh.

"I didn't want to go ...ma'am," He said looking to Cephera.

"Foolish of you. This could have become infected." Cephera yanked out the arrow and Cole gritted his teeth as his bit back a cry of both pain and surprise. Diana was watching with interest as everyone else was, even her father. Diana only saw her mother do this a handful of times. She covered the wound with her hand and a very faint light, unnoticeable if you're not looking, appeared between her hand and the wound. In mere seconds the wound was gone.

"That was amazing ...I mean thank you." He corrected quickly minding his manners. Diana rolled her eyes. Stupid boy.

"How did this happen?" Loki asked watching them all closely.

"I was practicing my aim while I was drunk," Diana said feeling a little afraid she might be in trouble.

"While drunk?!" Her mother said in a disapproving tone and at the same time her father said,

"Did you hit it?" Diana ended up smiling at her father's question. How different they were. Once again Diana pondered what life might have been like had Loki been around.

"Yes drunk and yes I hit it." Cephera was shaking her messy bed hair, or rather sex hair, even if she had tried to fix it she had failed. Diana's father however, began asking her how close to the mark she had gotten which made her mother glare.

"You could have killed someone." Cephera interrupted, her hand gesturing to Cole.

"It was just a scratch really." Cole insisted giving Diana a smile.

"My brother is an idiot. He was spying behind the targets," Cosette said smacking her brother in the back of the head.

"Spying?" Loki's attention was taken off Diana and was now settled on Cole. "And just what, or who were you spying on?" He inquired taking an intimidating step toward the previously injured boy.

"I wasn't spying. I was walking through the gardens, noticed someone in the range and wanted to see who it was." Cole insisted. Diana watched closely as her father narrowed his eyes.

"Do not lie to me boy." Loki told him his voice low and filled with warning.

"I ..." Cole seemed stumped for words as he looked fearfully at Diana's father. As Diana hadn't seen this side of her father she was amused and the thought of him trying to protect her made her happy. She stood there watching their standoff while her mother also stood by quietly her eyes on Loki.

A/N: I normally work the night shifts and work on my chapters then, but tomorrow and Friday I have day shifts so my chapter for the next two days will be posted later than usual. Just a heads up that there WILL be chapters just not posted until much later than I normally would post!

Thank You's

- Mel: thanks a lot for the words of support! I gladly accept your stars!

- Guest (wish I had your name. Lol): I post everyday. I try to stay consistent on time frame, but life doesn't always allow that. All the same I post everyday at some point :D

- Akera Writer of the Night: Diana has an attitude much like a combo of Seraphina and Loki.

- Benfan1: I know I am. Lol. You should be afraid. I'm evil. :P as for Diana and a love interest I guess you'll have to wait and see.

- Guest (who may or may not be the same one from above): Loki certainly needs to get out of denial. As for the bedroom they certainly do have stamina. Lol

- Sweet Dreams 705: I wanna know what song was playing. Lol. Having a love interest would certainly make her feel less lonely.

- 88 Dragon 06: I also enjoy jealous Loki. I thought there might be some chuckles to her shooting him. Lol

- Otaku Mae: haha. Loki committing that easily? I think not. Lol. I'm not sure if I'll do a Shiva POV, but we will find out more about her. :) this is the fun part for me. We know very little about the frost giants and so I get to make up stuff! And you're are welcome, thank you for reading and supporting my writing!

- Poodle Warriors: he is certainly in denial, but at least they are getting along.

- Short Haired Me: haha. I love creepy smiles!

- Loki's Dreamer: she is very good with those sorts of things!