CHAPTER 9

They stepped out of the Bifrost and looked at the nearly barren wasteland that lay before them. They had been told that the way to the Jotun Royal Palace and so they began walking towards it slowly.

"Jane, are you scared?" Darcy asked her sister quietly when she noticed Jane's hand trembling in hers. Jane nodded and gave her sister's hand a tight squeeze.

"Jane, if you want, I can do all the talking. I know that with your reasoning it would be better if you did but my Compassion might be better suited to this."

Jane again nodded not trusting her voice. She still was feeling guilty for not telling Thor where she was going or what she would be doing and she knew Darcy was feeling it too. Probably more so because of her beloved's background. Thor had told her that Loki was the Jotun Crown Prince and so she knew that this mission was going to be very difficult on Darcy. However, she trusted her sister to get them out of this alive and in relatively one piece.

"Jane, if I start asking weird questions please don't think anything of it okay? It's just Loki sees himself as a monster and he refuses to let me touch him while in his Jotun form. Even though I find him highly attractive in that form, he still sees himself as the monster Odin told him stories about as a child and won't believe that he isn't one of them. Anyway, I found a book about the Jotun culture in the Royal Library and was reading it and Loki got mad because of something I asked of him that I read about in the book and now I just want answers and he isn't going to provide them so maybe these Frost Giants will."

Jane understood perfectly. She was also wondering why she was feeling slightly warm even though it was freezing out there in the open. The coat she was wearing wasn't overly heavy so she should still be feeling cold and asked her sister if she was feeling warm too. Darcy nodded and Jane was left to wonder what was going on. It was like her body was adjusting itself to the climate it now found itself in, which was strange indeed to her mind.

They came upon the Palace in due course and were shown into the throne room. Upon entering the room they looked around only seeing the Giants who were standing at attention; no one sat on the throne. They both knew that the Giants had no king at the moment (well, they did but he didn't want the crown but they didn't know that).

"Why have you trespassed here Elf?" one of the burlier of the giants asked.

"We beg your pardon Mighty One, but we were sent here by Odin to see about negotiating the treaty from long ago and renewing it for the good of both your people and the other realms," Darcy said, not an ounce of fear in her voice or her countenance.

"We cannot do as you have asked since we are currently leaderless. Our king was killed and his only son and heir disappeared thousands of years ago. Only a royal may negotiate the treaty."

Jane was disheartened at this, for she knew that only Loki was going to be able to negotiate the peace treaty between the eight other realms and Jotunheim.

"Then perhaps you can set up a temporary king until the missing Heir returns," Darcy implied gently.

"We are sorry, my lady, but we cannot do that. You see King Laufey always believed his son and heir would be found and returned to Jotunheim before his eventual death. When that did not happen, he did not name a successor and so we have been leaderless since his death a millennium ago."

"So you're telling me that you have gone leaderless for the past 1000 years? Surely someone has stepped in to hear the complaint and wishes of your people."

"I am afraid that that is not the case, my lady. We shall remain as we are until the heir is returned."

Darcy was beginning to get very exasperated with the Frost Giants. Then an idea stuck her one that if she could get Loki to follow through may just help.

"So you will hold vigil over the empty throne until the heir is returned, am I correct in hearing you?"

At their collective nod she continued, "What if the heir never returns then what? Could one of his children claim the throne if he does not?"

Again they nodded in unison and one spoke up, 'Yes, if the missing heir is never found and one of his descendants were to come then, yes, they could claim the throne."

Darcy nodded then asked, "Do you have any idea what happened to the missing Prince?"

"Yes, when the war with the Allfather reached its peak, our king hid his son in our highest temple to protect him, however, when the Asgardians left we could not find the prince anywhere in the temple not even his body. We knew then that he had been stolen from us and his father never gave up hope that he would return. He was never ashamed of his son's small size, for he loved the child's mother dearly. The missing Prince is only half Frost Giant. He is also half Vanir. The power of the old god's runs through his veins as his mother was the queen of Vanaheim's daughter. She had fallen in love with King Laufey and he mated with her. Of everyone, she was the only one he could never bring harm to but when she became pregnant with the kings son she could not regulate her body to accommodate the child and when the child was born, our queen died. Our king never got over his queen's passing and loved and guarded his son zealously."

"But if his mother was part of the Vanir wouldn't she had had the power to regulate her body to accommodate the child?" Jane asked perplexed.

"No, the only people, other than our own, that have successfully lived through the birth of a Jotun child have been the Light Elves, like yourselves. They have the power to regulate their body temperature to accommodate their surroundings as I am sure you have probably already figured out. They also are self-healing and so the child does not harm the mother while she is carrying it."

"That's why I feel so warm even though it's freezing out!" Jane exclaimed.

"So, a Jotun could mate with an elf and there would be no repercussions at all?" Darcy asked.

"None, whatsoever. But do you have any idea what mating with a Jotun would entail Elf?"

Darcy shook her head and waited for them to explain. "When a male Jotun chooses his mate... the Mating Ritual is very animalistic in nature. We tend to mate anywhere from a few hours to several days. The mating is not complete until the female bares the mark of her mate. It usually appears below the left ear. The mark only appears when the couples energy is at its peak and then and only then is the mating complete."

Darcy wasn't sure why they were explaining all this to her but she figured she was projecting her truth aura out and they in turn were telling her everything that she wanted to know. She grinned.

"So they are then like married?" she asked curious to know the answer.

"Essentially, yes."

Jane, who had been standing there wondering why her sister was asking so many questions about the Giants procreation habits, decided that she wanted to go home. "I am sorry, but if we cannot renew the treaty then what are we going to do? Since none of us know where the missing Prince is or even who he is. Should we just tell the Allfather that it will have to remain the same as before and that there is nothing we can do because of the missing heir?" Jane asked. Even though she knew very well who and where the missing prince was.

"I suppose so, my lady," one of the giants informed her solemly.

"Well, it was nice to meet you all but we really need to be getting back," Jane again said a little hastily.

"One of the warriors will escort you back to the Bifrost site, my ladies."

"Thank you," the sisters answered in unison.

"One more question though, why is it you are not afraid of us when so many others are?"

"Because you are a people like any other, not the monsters others have labeled you as. You may be of a different race then most of the other nine realms but you are a people too. The color of your skin does not dictate what you are or even who you are. It's what you choose to be that counts. I can see that you are a close knit people whose loyalty to your royal house is unwavering. And I do hope that an heir comes to you soon for you deserve to be led by a wise king or queen, who will put the needs of his or her people before his or her own," Darcy said with every ounce of conviction she had.

"You are a wise woman, my lady."

"Thank you," Darcy returned as she turned and followed the frost giant that would be leading them back to the Bifrost site.

MEANWHILE

Thor and Loki where searching the Palace grounds for their respective lovers. They had been searching for them since early that morning and it seemed that no one had seen either of the sisters. It wasn't until they both recalled that the sister's had had a private audience with their father did they return to the Palace to confront Odin.

"Father, where are they?" Thor nearly roared when he walked into the Great Hall.

Odin knew that this wasn't going to end well and hoped that they took their anger out on him and not their soon to be brides. After all it had been him to ask them to go to Jotunheim in the first place.

"Thor, Loki. I ask that you not say anything at the moment and let me explain. Jarissa and Darissa are in Jotunheim at the present moment, on a diplomatic mission, so to speak. I wanted them to negotiate the renewal of the peace treaty and seeing as the last time you two were in Jotunheim you nearly caused another war. I felt that it would be safer to send them instead. They have the power to make the Jotun's listen to them that neither of you have. Well, you do Loki but you don't seemed to inclined to return there anytime soon am I correct in assuming?" at Loki's nod he continued, "I asked them not to tell you where I was sending them for fear that you would not let them go, especially since I sent them with no one to protect them…."

"WHAT!" both of the brother's practically yelled, both turned and ran out the door.

They ran for the Bifrost Dome; neither of them thinking to grab a horse and instead ran on foot all the way to the dome. "Heimdall, bring them back right now," Thor demanded.

"I don't have to, my prince, for they are already on their way back," Heimdall answered as the dome began to flash and out stepped both women.

Thor grabbed hold of Jane and simply held her close. Loki on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling his emotions. When Darcy looked at him, he had turned into his Jotun form and she could tell he was angry. "What do you think you were doing?" he demanded, as he pulled her up into his arms and stormed back to the Palace, still in Jotun form.

She wasn't sure who exactly he was angry at, her or his father, but she stayed still for fear of angering him anymore. He stormed into the Palace bypassing his father as he strode directly into his wing of the palace. He was trying hard to get control of himself but he knew it was a losing battle. Throwing open his bedroom door, he practically threw her onto his bed and climbed in on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. Before she could protest the rough treatment, his mouth had covered hers and all though flew from her head.

She had wanted him to kiss her in his Jotun form for so long that the fight she was prepared for simply left her and she surrendered quite happily to his forceful taking of her lips with his. She could taste his need to possess her completely on his tongue and she was more than happy to comply with his unspoken command.

She heard the tearing of fabric and then the cool air as it hit her now overly heated bare skin. Reaching up she realized that he had removed his shirt and she could feel the strange ridges that covered his body. She traced them slowly marveling at the difference in texture from his normally smooth and flawless skin and decided she liked him better this way. She knew that he would probably stop this before it went too far so she was going to touch to her hearts content until then.

Unbeknownst to her, Loki had no intention of stopping. He was going to prove to her that he was the monster that everyone believed him to be. She had wanted him to take her in his Jotun form and although he had told her he would never do so she had pushed him too far and he was going to show her exactly why he didn't want to take her in his current form.

He on the other hand had not expected her touch to be so gentle and soothing. The way she was caressing his back, tracing the ridges that marked his Jotun flesh. He knew that she liked when he was in this form but to have her touch him so willingly and without any fear nearly broke him. He wanted to claim her in the way of the Jotun. Wanted to possess her so fully that no one would dare take her from him. His mind made up, he removed the last vestiges of their clothing so he was as bare as she.

He whispered a simple stamina spell into her ear and then kissed her with every ounce of passion he had. His lips caressed hers as he begged her silently for entrance into her delectable mouth. When she opened to his insistent tongue, he proceeded to show her exactly what was in store for her in the coming hours if not days.

Darcy nearly swooned. She had never been so bombarded by so many feelings all at once. If this was what the Mating Ritual of the Jotun was then she was all for it. As their tongues danced together her hands found purchase in his long ink black hair pulling him closer to her as her body arched beneath his begging for his touch.

He pulled her hands out of his hair and secured them to the headboard of his bed before kissing her playfully on the nose. He then trailed his lips down her neck to her breasts. He gently bit down on one beaded nipple while caressing the other before switching and laving his attention on her other breast.

Darcy was moaning as pleasure like she had never know assaulted her body. She wasn't sure that goading him into this had been such a good idea but the pleasure he was giving her was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she wanted more. Craved it in fact. 'LOKI," she cried out as she came hard, which took her by surprise because he had not even begun to touch her the way she wanted him too.

He smirked as he continued to trail hip lips down her body not letting her recover from the surprise orgasm she had just experienced. He could tell that she was straining for more and he was more than willing to give it to her. He deliberately bypassed her center and trailed his lips down her right leg and then repeated the action with her left, making sure that every part of her was worshiped the way she should be.

"Darissa, part your legs for me, my darling," he whispered huskily against her pale stomach.

She did as he asked and he delved in giving her exactly what she wanted. Each touch of his lips and tongue to her aching flesh was a boon to her. She arched up wanting more of his touch. "Please Loki….'

He heard her low plea and slowly pushed two long ridge covered fingers up into her aching core. The combination of the ridges and his oddly freezing flesh against her inner self broke the damn she had been straining to hold back and she once again flew apart. Once she came back down, he began moving his hand against her as hip lips continued their assault of the little bundle of nerves at the apex of her legs. It didn't take her long before she was once again soaring. He continued to bring her to orgasm several times, not letting her know that once he joined with her he would be unable to pull away until the mating mark was visible upon her flesh. Yes, Loki had decided to claim his mate.

Darcy managed to look at Loki, wondering if he was going to do what she thought he was going to do. She knew from her talk with the Frost Giants that the Mating Ritual was very animalistic in nature and wondered what they meant by that. So far, he had not done anything that she would classify as animalistic. But she knew that he was also just getting started even though she had lost count on how many times she had already come. Just then he turned her onto her hands and knees and spread her legs farther apart. She felt him then behind her, poised and ready. She felt him pushing into her from behind as a long moan rent the air though she wasn't sure if he had made the noise or if she had.

Once seated fully within her, he held very still and let her adjust to the new position as well as his size. He was well aware that in his Jotun form he had grown several inches in height as well as gained a little bit larger girth to his manhood. So he patiently waited until she was ready before he began to trust slowly into her. He wanted her to hit her peak sooner rather than later for he already knew he was reaching his and they needed to reach that peak together for the ritual to be complete. As much as he would have loved to make love to her for days on end he knew that she would not be able to handle it at least not right then, nor could he.

"Loki….faster please," came her cry of absolute need.

Complying with her command he began to move within her faster but kept his thrusts shallow and not deep like he knew she wanted. "Loki," he heard her growl in frustration and chuckled, "Darissa, you must be patient my dear."

In retaliation she squeezed her inner muscles and that got him to give her what she desperately needed. His thrusts became hard, fast and deep, as he moved into her body holding her hips in a bruising grip.

He could feel their energies mixing and he knew that they were close but to be sure he moved the hair that had fallen forward on her left side aside to look at the place right below her ear. He could see a faint outline beginning to form and knew that they were close to completing the ritual. His thrusts started to become very erratic as he worked towards his own completion. She came seconds later, his name leaving her lips on a high thin scream of pure pleasure. The mark was now visible. As he saw it finally finish forming, he let go and poured himself deep into her before collapsing on top of her, pressing her deep into the mattress below her. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her limp form into his arms, kissing her forehead and allowed her to settle into sleep beside him. It was done. No one could ever take her from him now. She was his mate. He looked at her newly acquired mark and saw that it looked like two elaborately scrolled 'L's linked together. He settled back and allowed sleep to claim him, his mate by his side.