Maryn floated up through the haze of her drugged sleep. Although the humans didn't have magic, the chemicals they had used to knock her out were potent. Bright light seeped into her vision as she opened her eyes slowly and squinted, sitting up and carefully taking stock of where she was.
The room was very large, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking a huge city. She was sitting on a sofa facing the windows and when she turned to study the room further, she saw Loki sitting opposite her his hands clasped loosely between his knees while he sat forward in an armchair of dark steel blue upholstery.
Turning her gaze to the floor she swung her feet over the edge of the sofa and placed them on the ground, standing gingerly and readying herself in case the chemicals hadn't quite left her system. When she was sure she could stand steadily, she lifted her gaze to his again.
"Thank you for helping me control my power." She spoke into the heavy silence between them.
He was silent for so long she wondered if he would speak, and his words, when he did so, startled her. "Remember my kindness, Maryn, for I will not show it again."
"Why?" she whispered, trying to hold her devastation at bay she took a step toward him, "Why show me kindness when you refuse to give up this cruel campaign against the humans?"
He glared down at her, his tone flat and empty, "I should be a king."
Anger boiling over, Maryn moved toward him, "No, you should not. A king doesn't rule by fear, Loki. The moment you spilt blood on this world was the moment you lost sight of what a true ruler is."
"And you would know what a true ruler should be like then, wouldn't you, my love," his words were kind but the tone he used left no doubt in Maryn's mind that he was trying to hurt her.
Lifting her chin and ignoring the fact that he hadn't moved away as she had advanced on him, Maryn spoke scathingly, "I once thought you would be a better king than Thor, but what you have done on this planet, to these people, I see now that I was wrong. You think of yourself and nothing else."
Loki's hand flashed out and he grabbed her upper arm, swinging her around and pressing her back against the wall nearby, "Enough!" he growled lowly. "I have given everything for a crown, everything."
"You gave nothing but our love!" she yelled at him. "I selfishly thought you were true when you said you would love me always but you wanted only one thing; the power that came with a throne. When I couldn't give that to you the decision seemed easy, didn't it? Why did you do it, Loki?"
"I chose another path, a better path. You were never enough for me." He spoke softly, as if the words didn't rip at her heart.
There was a heavy silence between them and Maryn let go. "Then I hope you get everything you want, Loki," she spoke evenly.
He blinked, the hardness of his face relaxing, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion, "What?"
Smiling softly she repeated her words, "I hope you gain your crown, Loki. After everything you have survived, you deserve to be happy."
He looked stunned, his mouth slightly open in shock and his gaze studying her as thought waiting for the punch line of the joke. "Y-you jest," he sputtered.
Shaking her head, Maryn ignored every instinct begging her to touch him, "This isn't a jest, Loki. I hope you find happiness, whatever that means for you. Just remember that I will not be waiting for you if you change your mind. Once you make your choice I will not stand in your way." Again, the silence stretched between them before Maryn took a deep breath.
The Dark Prince moved quickly, pacing in frustrated tension as Maryn watched on calmly. He didn't speak for a few moments but then glared at her as he continued his movement, "You would allow me to leave you after you travelled so far to make sure I returned to Asgard?"
Lifting her chin Maryn kept her gaze on him as he moved backward and forwards before her, "You made it clear what you wanted. You want a throne. I will not stand in your way."
He stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at her, "You're lying. You will do anything to save the humans on this world; tell me I'm wrong."
Smiling softly, Maryn nodded, "I never said I would not fight to keep the humans safe. I only said that I would not stand in your way if you wish to make Earth your kingdom. Bloodshed does not have to be part of that, but if you choose to hurt the people of Earth, I will stop you."
The Tesseract's power waned as they held each other's gaze, Maryn watched the strange blue light ebb away until she was staring up into Loki's intense emerald gaze. The way he was looking at her changed and she took a step away from him. He followed her until her back hit the wall. She saw him reach out to touch her and jerked away from his hand.
"Don't," she spoke quickly, the calm façade she had been portraying falling away the moment he came too close. Although he had touched her before, she was sure she couldn't survive his touch again. He didn't stop however and she closed her eyes, "Stop, Loki. It means nothing to you." When she didn't feel the brush of his fingers against her skin she cautiously opened her eyes.
"And yet it means everything to you, despite what you said," Loki spoke softly, his gaze never wavering from her face and his hand raised in mid-air still. At her refusal to answer him, he continued and ignored the way she tensed when his fingers caught her chin and tilted her head up.
The tension between them thickened palpably and all Maryn could do was watch silently as he leaned down toward her. "Do not kiss me if it means nothing, Loki," she burst out just as his lips were about to touch hers.
His gaze flashed up from her mouth to her eyes and he spoke so quietly she could barely hear his words, "It means everything, sweet one. You cannot imagine the pain of being taken from you."
Maryn's breath caught in her chest at the cool caress of his lips over hers when he crossed the small distance between them. A soft, broken whine caught in her throat at the absolute happiness that rushed through her veins at being kissed by him again, and when he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest, she curled her fingers into the lapels of his coat ignoring the bite of its metal edging.
Pulling away a little, Loki searched her face, the need darkening his irises causing heat to flare in Maryn's belly. He then dipped his head once more and slanted his mouth over hers, claiming her in a molten kiss she felt to her toes.
Breaking the kiss to breathe, Maryn pressed her forehead to his, her eyes closed and her thoughts hazy with the need to kiss him again; but something stopped her. She remembered his words as her world went dark after he had rebuilt her mental walls to protect her from the strength of her power. "What did you mean when you said you were sorry in the prison cell when you helped me control my magic?"
Loki's arm tightened imperceptibly around her but he didn't pull away. "…I did this to be free, but I did it without thinking of your feelings or what you would experience once I was gone. That is why I asked for forgiveness."
Pulling back enough to look up at him, Maryn asked gently, "Will you still try and take Earth by force?"
A look of fear flashed over his face at the words and she again ached at the knowledge that he had been hurt; the way he acted, the use of the Tesseract's power, and the sudden look of dread all pointed to some type of physically or mentally abusive persuasion. "It's what I am meant to do, what is expected."
She had the feeling that though he said the words alluding to whoever had sent him to Earth, he was speaking about what Thor and the others who worked with him expected. "We can still leave," she spoke quietly, running her fingers through the longer strands of his inky black hair at the nape of his neck. "This doesn't have to happen, love."
Despair welled in Loki's eyes at her words and he leaned down, kissing her desperately.
Tears filled Maryn's eyes, it felt like he was saying goodbye.
"Sir," a voice spoke from behind them and Loki let Maryn go and turned to see one of his soldiers standing a few feet away.
Maryn blushed at being caught in such a compromising situation by the human and kept her gaze lowered to the ground under her feet.
"The machine is ready. Stark and his people will be here soon." The soldier informed them before turning and leaving the room.
"You will still start a war," Maryn spoke plainly when Loki turned back to look down at her once more. She didn't have to see him to know the Tesseract's power was swirling around him and distorting the colour of his eyes again.
"Yes."
His cool voice answered and Maryn closed her eyes, "Then I will fight."
"Yes."
This word was quieter and sadder but both knew the other would not back down.
Lifting her gaze to him, Maryn looked away the sight of him standing tall before her, and then cast a spell transporting her away from the large room and her husband.