CHAPTER 24

Darcy was sitting in Frigga's room awaiting the former queens appearance. She had said that she would only be a minute and that there was something that she needed to show her. She wondered what her mother-in-law wanted to show her as she looked around the former queens apartment.

"Darissa, dear come with me," Frigga said, coming back into the room and then leaving the room once more. Darcy got up and followed the queen from the room and entered a room with only one thing in it. A Pool. It was too small to be a bathing pool and Darcy quickly realized what it was.

"Mother, why are you showing me this?" she asked.

"Well, contrary to what everyone believes, this pool is not mine. It belongs to every Queen of Asgard. Every queen is taught to use this pool and it is now your turn."

Darcy was shocked. "I don't know what to say."

Just then she felt movement in her womb and placed a hand over the spot. Frigga noticed the movement and smiled. She had been as shocked as everyone else when Loki had told them about her pregnancy but she had shrugged it aside. She already knew from the pool what the children were and what they would become. Both were destined to become great kings.

"Well, how about we start your first lesson then?"

Darcy nodded and Frigga told her to look into the pool. She shrugged and did as she was told. It took a while but she soon saw something within the misty depths. Looking harder, she could make out the shapes of two young children looking up her. One had the palest blue eyes she had ever seen while the other had vivid green eyes and both were dark haired. It took her a moment to realize that she was looking at her children. Then she saw something else. The children were using their magic and she saw that one was using the power of fire while the other ice.

She stepped back from the pool and looked at her mother in law. "Were those my children?" she asked.

"Yes. The two boys that you saw were indeed your sons that you are now carrying. As you saw, one will hold the power of fire while the other ice."

Darcy was stunned. She knew that one of her sons was going to take after Loki and she figured that he was the one that would hold the power of ice. The other, even though he had frost giant blood flowing through him, would take more after her and would hold the power of fire. Fire and Ice. Both were residing within her womb at that moment.

After the lesson she went to look for her husband. He was due to leave for Jotunheim in the morning and she wanted spend as much time with him as she could before he left. He was going to be staying there for a week. A week without him already seemed like an eternity to her. She found him in the throne room talking with Thor.

"My Queen," Thor said with a bow and a grin.

Darcy rolled her eyes. No matter how many times she had told him that he needn't call her that he always seemed to, if only to make her smile.

"Thor, I believe my sister was looking for you earlier, did she find you?"

"I haven't seen my wife since early this morning, Darissa. Is she still looking for me?"

"I believe so. I think she was in the east garden the last time I saw her."

Thor nodded and then left. "Dear, I cannot believe you just lied to my brother," Loki said with a smirk.

"I didn't lie completely, Loki. She was looking for him though she is in her room and not in the garden. She wasn't feeling to well earlier. I figured he would bring her some flowers from the garden and then seek her out."

"I see. And what has brought you to see me, my darling?"

"I wanted to see you is all. You are not busy are you? I can come back later if I need to."

"Now my darling queen, what makes you think that I would not want to see you?" he asked mischievously.

"Nothing actually. But I wanted to spend some time with you before you leave in the morning."

He looked down at her and pulled her up into his arms and carried her to their chamber. Once there, he laid her on the bed and joined her there. "I love you," they both said at the same time before their desire for one another took over and they proceeded to show the other just how much.

Much later he asked, "So what did my mother what to show you?"

"The scrying pool. Apparently it's not hers, but it belongs to every Asgardian queen."

"And what did it show you?" he asked knowingly.

She looked up at him and smiled knowing that he had felt her shock at seeing her children as young boys. "Our sons," she said softly.

He smiled at that. "So are you going in for another lesson tomorrow?"

"Yes, after you leave," she said, her tone soft and yet sad.

"Darling, you know I have to go. I promised that I would visit this week."

"I know. I just wish I could go with you," she said with tears in her eyes.

He wiped them away and held her close. He really didn't want to leave her here alone but he had no choice. He had made a promise and he would not break it.

He continued to hold her until she fell asleep and the gently laid her back on the bed covering her as he did so. Kissing her temple, he left the room silently and went to speak to his brother.

Xxx

The following morning Darcy awoke to find her husband awaiting her awakening. He was fully dressed in his ceremonial armor and cape as well as his helmet. She quickly got out of bed and dressed so she could accompany him to the Dome for his departure.

Once there he held her close and kissed her passionately not caring who was watching. "I love you, Darissa. I will be back in a few days okay, so stop worrying. I will be fine. Heimdall has agreed to keep an eye on me for you so you do not have to worry about me so much."

"Thank you and I love you too, Loki. Please just be careful and come back home soon."

Placing one last kiss upon his wife's quivering lips he left for Jotunheim.

Xxx

Loki found that the giants had indeed chosen a governor and that it was none other than on of the two giants that had stayed with them on Asgard before the coronation. Skrymir was a good choice as he was very loyal to the crown and would see to it that the Jotun's were well taken care of in his absence.

"Your Majesty, I trust Queen Darissa is doing fine," Skrymir said after greeting his king.

"She is well and wishes that she could have come with me," Loki answered the appointed governor.

He spent the next two days setting up the system of government that would be in place until his son would take the throne. He could feel his wife's anxiety and knew that she spent a lot of her time with either her sister or with his mother. And if she wasn't with them she was at the Dome asking Heimdall how he was doing. He shook his head and smiled. His wife truly did worry about him too much, but it was one of the many reasons he loved her so very much. He tried to hurry the process along and was surprised by the intelligence that the giants displayed. Everything he had ever been told about them was a lie. They were not the brutes that he had grown up believing they were. They were in their own way gentle and caring. He found himself again shaking his head only this time in wonder. They had taken his suggestion and had gone with it without complaint and even asked when he wanted the report each month. After answering all their questions and letting them know that when the time came he would either come himself or send his brother to deliver the news of their heirs birth.

With his work done he returned to Asgard and his wife's waiting arms.