Chapter 66.
Floria lay back on the pillows, Eir standing over her and checking the pregnancy and smiling her approval. Floira listened to her advice, Loki sitting nearby and watching the woman work. His eyes following every movement, and he waiting to hear her verdict.
"You may close your robe and cover yourself again Princess. It is a cold day today, and you cannot afford a chill." Eir said and Floria covered her legs again with the blankets and relaxed. Loki looked at the Healer, watching her put her tools away.
"Is the child healthy?" Floria asked, her eyes worried and Eir nodded.
"Very much so, but you still need to be careful. No strain or activities that may cause you to become upset, I will see you again after Yule and assess if you may leave your bed to take exercise." Eir said and Floria did not hide her disappointment at her words. The last four months of her lying on her back becoming a strain on her. Her belly had rounded, the child inside it growing as normal. Her six months into carrying his second child being one of rest and calm, but Loki could still not see how she needed to stay in their bed with minor exceptions to bathe or relieve herself.
"Can she at least sit at a table to eat? It is only a few steps and then she can return to resting." Loki asked and Eir thought for a moment, nodding her assent.
"That can be allowed, but step carefully, and don't take a chill." She warned and Floria nodded and smiled weakly. She lay under the blankets, looking at Loki with a hint of depression and he tried to reassure her with a smile. They had been cooped up together for so long, that they wished for other company. It was easier for he to leave and attend Council Meetings, but Floria had to wait for visitors to come to her. And now, with the heavy snows, they had become fewer. Her temper was becoming shorter as well, and she often sat in silence with nothing to do but wait. She remained afraid to express herself, AMD chose to only smile and nod at his requests.
"I will hope then that she will be allowed out of bed next week then. Perhaps for short walks, and then to gradually add visits to her family." He said and Eir nodded, something in her eyes telling him that he was not getting all the information he needed to have.
"Next week. I bid you both a good day." She said and gave them a curtsy before taking her satchel of tools and leaving them. Floria sighed, running her hand over the growing swell and folding them on top of herself. She shifted quietly, looking out the window and watching the snow fall. She was growing restless, and Loki was as well, but their priority was on the child she was carrying.
"Do you wish to play a game or rest?" He asked her and she sighed again.
"I have been resting for the last several months, I want to walk." She said and looked down at herself. "This bed has become a prison and I cannot stand it anymore."
"I know, but you want the child to be born when it should." He said, trying to be supportive and she nodded. Her eyes focused on the window again, and she returned to her own meditations.
Loki stood then, straightening his tunic and stretching. He looked toward Sari, watching the girl shrug and he walked a few circles if the room. He was feeling entrapped as well, and he wanted to go riding. He pondered Eir's expression, his mind going over what he observed as he interacted with Floria and a few gestures made no sense. Why, after this time would she still be ordered to remain bedridden when she felt perfectly well?
"Must you pace?" Floria snapped and he stopped, looking at her and his eyes widened at the outburst.
"I was thinking, it sometimes helps to move. If I could leave this room, I could walk the halls but I am here." He retorted and Floria shook her head.
"You are not the one here trapped in this bed, you can leave at any time if it pleases you." She replied and he saw the irritation cross her face. "I am not an anchor that binds you here, nor shall I be accused of being one."
"I did not say you were Floria, I was merely stating a fact." He snapped back at her and her eyes widened at his demeanor, she shifted and crossed her arms and returned to staring out the window.
"Go on and take your walk then, I will be here when you return." She said softly and he let out a long breath, he groaned inwardly and walked back to the bed. His shoulders slumping forward as he sat heavily on it, she regarded him a moment and pulled the blankets up higher.
"Floria, all this is my fault. I should never have upset you to make yourself ill, I do not want to bicker over this." He said and she threw the blankets off her. She went to the wardrobe and pulled a dress down off a hook and started putting it on. He stood up, trying to stop her and she pulled the dress away from him.
"What are you doing?" Sari asked and ran into the room. Floria pulled a Chemise over her head and started tying the underskirt around her waist. The Maid and Loki looking at her as if she had gone mad.
"I am going for a walk, I cannot stand this room anymore and it is causing me too much strife." She replied and Loki walked to her, his hand closed over her shoulder and she pulled away.
"Eir has said you must remain at rest, think about the child." He said and she shook her head, she finished dressing and pulled her hair back in a simple braid. Sari got her some shoes and helped her Mistress put them on, Floria using a chair for balance.
"I have remained at rest for all this time, I want to go out and walk before we bicker ourselves into a separation or divorce. It is draining on both of us to be so trapped, and I do not feel unwell at all." She said and started walking toward the doors. "I will go and see our Daughter, play with her a bit, and then go to the Library to see if there are any new books that catch my attention. Should I choose, I will return here but the company is dull."
She opened the door, the shocked face of Frigga seeing her dressed and walked in. She looked at Loki, and he shrugged as she walked past Floria and took the girls hand.
"Floria, I thought Eir told you to stay at rest. The baby could be harmed!" Frigga said and Floria took her hand back. She looked at the Queen, her eyes widening and Loki had a realization that he and his Wife had been played for fools. He groaned, hating the fact that he allowed Frigga to meddle in his life and he hoped that Floria would play along with his plan.
"She wishes to go for a short walk to see our Daughter and to the Library." Loki said, giving Floria a subtle wink and she grinned. "I told her to not be so stubborn, but she refuses to hear reason. I swear Mother, she has become more and more demanding of me and I cannot stand it any further."
"If you were not so pig headed, then I would not have had to get with child to keep you as my Husband!" Floria returned and Loki opened his mouth in shock. He winked again, and she nodded that she understood what was going on. Frigga waved her hands and stopped him before he could say anything, her hands folding neatly and smiling.
"Floria, how you found yourself with child does not matter. We need to ensure that you do not strain yourself while you carry it, Loki don't shout at her." Frigga said, trying to remain collected and Floria pointed at Loki.
"How can I remain calm when he insists that this child is not his?" She asked Frigga and crossed her arms. "He said I lay with a Guard, and he put it in my belly!"
"Which is true! You talk in your sleep, I heard it with my own ears." Loki said, and crossed his arms. "I want a separation and this marriage declared void!"
"I want it as well! And I want you to stay far away from my children! He is spoiled beyond all capability to be compassionate to any person in plight!" Floria said and Loki let out a derisive snort.
"Nag!" He shouted and Floria glared at him.
"Spoiled brat!"
"Twit!"
"Pale... pale... moody shadow!"
"I am pale because I am half Jotun!"
"You keep reminding me of that! Stop it now!"
"Shrew!"
"Wretch!"
"Harpy!"
"Bilgesnipe!"
"ENOUGH!" Odin shouted and Floria and Loki saw him standing in the doorway. The Old King took a step forward, his cane striking the floor and he looked from Frigga to Loki.
"He started it." Floria said and pointed at Loki. He hid a laugh, nearly failing and Odin sighed.
"Frigga started it." Odin said and looked at his Wife. "You have meddled enough in their marriage dear, now it is time to end the charade that you started."
"I knew that she was well enough to leave the bed. You trapped us here for months on end, and nearly caused us to crumble." Loki said and Floria nodded her agreement. Both of them crossed their arms and Frigga stared at Odin, her mouth opening and Loki raised an eyebrow.
'I did it to ensure that Loki remained happy, he would have fallen into misery and Floria as well." She said, nervously picking at her hands. She looked at Loki and Floria, her eyes filled with hope and they glared back at her. "I had a vision that Floria would die if she had the child alone, I had to act."
"In meditation?" Loki asked and Frigga nodded. "You know full well that those visions are often false, they are the worries of your mind given presidence."
"I could not take any chances. I saw that she was birthing the child and it killed her and the baby as well." She said and looked at Floria. "I did it to save the both of you, not just Loki. I meant no harm Dear, just to see that you were kept safe."
"I am safe." Floria said and looked at Loki. "I always was."
"So you lied to us, telling Eir to lie along with you to ensure that our marriage would not fail and remain stable. Did you ever ask if it was strong enough to withstand any storm?" Loki asked and Frigga looked at Odin. The Old King stepped forward and looked at his Wife, shaking his head.
"You were leaving. I had to do something, I could not let you do something you would regret later." She said and Loki took Floria's hand in his.
"My regrets are my own, and I would have returned when my pride was less wounded. Let us go to see out Daughter, this child will be well." He said and Floria nodded softly to him. They walked together, leaving their chambers and traveled the hall.
"I cannot believe she lied." Floria said, her hands folding over her stomach and her eyes wide.
"Neither can I." Loki replied, stopping and laughing. "Pale, moody shadow?"
"I am not very good at acting." She laughed and he grinned. "I was put on the spot a bit."
"I would argue that you were a Consummate Actress... Nag" He laughed, his arm around her back as they walked. She laughed and pinched his side playfully, her eyes shining and he looked at her.
"Brat." She giggled and he stopped her, kissing her cheek and grinning.
"Twit." He said and she laughed harder, kissing him back.
"Spoiled Prince." She giggled and he pretended to be hurt by her words, he opened the door to the nursery and they were greeted by a shrieking toddler. The little girl giggling as she ran toward them.
"Mama! Papa!" She squealed and Loki lifted her off her feet. "Mama and bawby bwetter?"
"Yes my Princess. She is much better." He said and hugged the girl. "How is my clever girl?"
"Gwood!" She squealed, Floria kissing her cheeks and the Alarea looked at Floria's growing belly. "Mama, is bawby in thwere?"
"It is Dear, and will come out soon." She said and the girl nodded.
"Bwaby need gwow!" Alarea said, Loki kissing his Daughters cheek.
"Yes, it needs to grow a bit before it can be born." He said and Floria smiled at her Husband softly. He caressed her cheek, moving the child so she was on his back and took her hand in his. "Let us all go for a walk and to the Library. Perhaps it will do the three of us some good to see how much the Castle has changed."
"I like this idea Husband." She said and the Nurse smiled at the growing Royal Family. He led them to the doors, opening them and giving them both space to walk through. Down the hall they heard Frigga and Odin shouting at one another, and Loki laughed at them.
"We should not find that funny Dear, that was us." Floria said and her nodded.
"Well, My Sweet Nag, she did meddle." He replied and she laughed, wagging a finger at him.
"Brat, you should not judge." She said and she kissed his cheek. "You did say that love makes fools of us all."
"I did. I must agree." He said and Floria stopped suddenly. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach, he feeling the child in her stir and move. "But it makes something so beautiful as well. So I find being a fool agreeable."
"As do I." Loki said, and felt the child move and stretch. "It separates the Monsters from the men as well."