CHAPTER 15

Darcy walked back to Loki's chamber wondering if she was now indeed with child. She wondered if his secretive smile only that morning was the cause or if it was something else entirely.

"My dear, how did the talk with my mother go?" he asked as she walked into his room.

"Enlightening," she stated. Not all that shocked that he had known where she had been since she had hold him that she was going to see Heimdall when she had left him early in the day. She looked at him with a critical eye. His own were twinkling and that had her wondering all over again.

"Loki, I am going to ask you something very important and I want an honest answer from you," she began.

He merely nodded already knowing what it was she was going to ask. He had felt her curiosity through their bond earlier and knew what she wanted to know, however he wanted to keep the information a secret for a while longer. He wanted her to find out on her own and wanted to see her face when she did.

"Am I with child?" she finally asked.

Loki inwardly grinned. There were so many ways he could say yes to her but he wanted her to be the one to figure it out and tell him though he already knew the answer. Instead he said calmly, "Darissa, I cannot answer that question. For how could I possibly know what's going on inside your body, my love?"

She knew he was lying, having felt the shift in the air while he spoke. Huffing, she turned away trying to think of a way to get him to tell her.

"That is not what your mother told me, Loki. She told me you would know instantly if I were to become with child. Something to do with the bond and the fact that I am your mate. So why won't you just tell me already."

"My dear, this is something you must wait to find out for yourself. I will not tell you if you are or if you are not. I want you to find out on your own. I want to see your face when you discover it for yourself," he told her gently, coming to stand before her.

"So, I am pregnant then and you just won't tell me I am because you want me to find out for myself. Is that it?"

He knew he was trapped then and she had figured him out but he still was not going to tell her. "You will have to wait and see, my dear."

Darcy knew that he was being stubborn since he was refusing to tell her. She wanted to be with child so very badly; wanted to gift him with his own child after the loss they had unwittingly suffered years before. She didn't care that they were not yet married in the Asgardian/Elven way yet, though that was about to change in a few week's time. "Please?" she tried one last time.

"Darling, don't you want to find out on your own? Wouldn't you like to have the secret to yourself for a little while before telling anyone? I thought all women wanted to keep the secret for at least a few weeks before revealing it to anyone and here you are nearly begging me to tell you if you are or are not carrying my child."

He was genuinely perplexed, yes, he knew she was carrying his child but why was it so important to her to know right now if she was or not? So he did the only thing he could think of, he asked her why.

"I'm sorry, it's just I really want to know. I want to share the joy I see in your eyes, Loki. I know you know and I understand that you want me to find out on my own but I don't want to. I can tell you are overjoyed by something though I cannot figure out what. I simply figured that you know I am with child and that is the cause of your sudden happiness. Maybe I am wrong in my assumption," the last said with tears forming in her eyes. "It's just I want to give you a child Loki, I really do." She finally broke down into tears.

Loki was shocked that she could read him so well. He had known that the loss of their first child had been hard on her but he had no idea she wanted to become a mother so very badly. He finally gave in and let her in on his little secret especially since he hated to see her upset. "Darissa, my love, my darling, please don't cry. I know you wish to give me a child and I confess I wish for it as well, which is why I wanted you to find this out on your own instead of you relying on my senses. You are with child, my dear, in fact you are going to have twins,' he grinned the last as she looked up at him in shock.

Twins! She couldn't believe it. Not only was she going to give her beloved a child but she was going to give him two!

The shock of his statement finally wore off and she looked at him with a serene smile on her face before leaning up and kissing him softly. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips before pulling back.

Pulling out of his arms she turned to go, "I have to find Jane I never did get to ask her about the wedding yesterday." With that she walked out the door.

Loki looked after her wondering if he had just been tricked into telling her the truth, then grinned. His ladylove was learning the art of manipulation quite well indeed. He had wanted to keep her from finding out because he enjoyed the fact that he knew something she didn't. Shrugging it off with a grin, he returned to the book he had been reading before she had come back from her talk with his mother.

XXX

Darcy found Jane in one of the many gardens. "Jane," she greeted her sister

"Darcy," Jane returned

"I know Loki and I told you about our upcoming wedding but we would like to know when you thought it would be a good time to have the ceremony?"

Jane thought about it for a moment before answering her sister. "Darcy, what if we were to have a double wedding?"

It took Darcy a moment to realize what her sister was saying before she squealed in delight and launched herself into her sister's arms, hugging her tight. "Jane, really. He asked you again?"

Jane nodded, "Yes, while on Midgard he came to ask for forgiveness for being a jerk and we made up and then he asked me again and I of course said yes. We spoke to his father and ours this morning, I was coming to tell you when you found me."

"Oh, Jane, I would love to share my wedding day with you!"

"It was Thor that mentioned that he wanted to marry on the same day as his brother but only if you and Loki agreed to it. I of course agreed immediately."

"If he was looking for his brother he is in his chambers. I just came from there and no it's not because I slept with him, even though I did, I have been up awhile. In fact, I was talking with the queen earlier about the mark I now have and she was telling me some things about the Jotun's that they didn't tell us when we visited."

"I just found out that Loki is actually Frigga's second cousin!"

"What!? How?"

"Yes, it's true. Loki's real mother and Frigga were cousins and best friends. She, Loki's biological mother, told Frigga all about the Mating Ritual and everything that it entails. That isn't all Jane. I really should wait to say something but I can't hold back my excitement much longer."

"Well, spit it out Darcy," Jane said exasperated.

"I'm going to have a baby….well actually Loki says its twins….but I am pregnant!"

"Wait how does he know its twins and how do you know you're pregnant already we have only been back for less than a week!"

"It's part of the mating ritual, Jane. I am bonded to him in some way and he can feel my emotions from anywhere. Frigga also told me that he would be able to sense when I did become pregnant and I remembered his tiny smile this morning before I left to see if Heimdall knew when you and Thor were coming back. Then Frigga said that and I went and questioned him. He didn't want to tell me at first, kept telling me it would be better if I found out on my own, but I prodded him until he broke down and told me. Jane, I can't believe I am going to be a mother!"

If it had been her intention to shock her sister, Darcy did a good job of it. Jane sat there stunned into silence. She couldn't believe her sister was going to have a baby and she wondered if she herself was again with child. To take her mind off of her sister's impending motherhood, she asked her about the mark she now bore under her left ear.

"Well, as you know it's the Jotun's Mating Mark. The scrolling of the mark signifies royalty which we both know Loki is, but the mark itself is a sign of ownership. Essentially, it means that I now belong to Loki Laufeyson. I don't know if you can make out the double L or not but the mark consists of his initials."

"And you don't mind him practically owning you?" Jane questioned in disbelief.

"No, Jane I don't mind. I know I should but somehow can't seem to find it within myself to mind," she answered her sister honestly. She then remembered something Frigga had said about Jane talking to Odin.

"Jane, the queen said something in passing about a conversation you had with the Allfather. What was it about?"

"Oh, I just told him off is all," Jane said trying hard not to laugh at the face her sister made when she said that.

"You did what!?"

"Yep, I told off the Allfather about his treatment of Loki, a son he took to raise as his own but failed to love the way he should have."

"Jane! I can't believe you did that! I wish I had been there to see the look on his face. I wonder if that is why Frigga said that he was trying to figure out which son he would name his heir. You must have really set him straight if he is rethinking about who he is going to give the throne of Asgard to."

"Well, I was only stating a fact Darcy. I have heard stories of Thor and Loki from before Loki knew his heritage and what happened afterwards. All Loki has ever done was try to please Odin and nothing he did seemed to do the trick. The Allfather still only saw him as a nobody, an outsider, which by the way still irks me to no end. I mean, I may not have the greatest love for Loki, he has played one too many tricks on me in the past, but he is your beloved and soon to be my brother in law. I had to defend him to the very person who looked down on him. It's not like Loki asked to be taken all those years ago by Odin. He didn't asked to be left in his older brother's shadow. He didn't ask to be different and then be treated as such. I needed to make the Allfather see this which I think I did."

"Well, I thank you for defending him, Jane. However, you were not the only one he played tricks on. He played about as many tricks on me when we first met if you recall."

"Oh, I remember well, Darcy. I can still see your face when you realized that your hair had gone completely white! I even remeber what he said when he did that and your responce!" Jane said, trying to hold back a chuckle. "Or how about the time he changed your dress four times when we were being presented to Odin the first day we arrived here the first time. Now that was funny."

"Jane!...Yeah, your right, it was kinda funny, but not as funny as when he changed your meal as you were eating it that first night. Now that is a memory I am glad I got back. The look on your face as he changed it right before your eyes and your shriek of outrage was just hilarious. Of course it took us a while to figure out who was responsible for all the pranks but he's mellowed out if I do say so myself," Darcy said also trying not to laugh at the memory.

"Jane, do you think you could get Thor to invite the Avengers to our wedding?" she asked after a few moments.

"We already did," Jane grinned at her sister.

"Really?"

"Yep, Tony can't wait to see Asgard for himself. He said that it can't be better than Earth. I for one can't wait to see the look on his face when he does see it. Makes me want a camera just so I can capture the moment for all time," she giggled.

For the rest of the day the sister's talked about their upcoming wedding and came to the agreement to let the others know at dinner that night.