Trials and Tribulations

Loki avoided his wife for days after the incident which occurred in their bedroom, and he threw himself into his kingly duties. Whilst Eris hadn't exactly gone to look for her husband, in fact now she never saw him, she finally realised that she could feel sadness. However, she had gone about her duties as queen but done them in such a way that she wouldn't have to see Loki unless it was absolutely necessary. This day was going to be just like that, Eris thought as she stood on the balcony outside of hers and Loki's room, watching the sun and feeling its heat on her bare arms. Her armour glistened in the sun but she didn't pay attention, instead her hand moved gently to her neck where she touched the marks from Loki's hand, they had long disappeared by now, but they felt like they were still there.

"Loki, I'm so sorry." She whispered, before she suddenly spun round, her sword in her hand, but she relaxed as she saw that it was only a maid. "I'm sorry, you just made me jump."

"It's alright your majesty, I apologise for not announcing my arrival." She bowed. "Queen Frigga wishes to see you."

Eris nodded. "If that is what she wishes." Eris put her sword back into its holster, before she followed the maid back to the Queens chambers, standing outside as the maid knocked before entering when given the word to by Frigga.

"The Lady Eris, m'lady." The maid bowed and moved aside to let Eris walk in, and as Eris bowed the maid left.

"Eris my darling, are you alright?" Frigga walked to her, hugging her. "What has happened between you and Loki?"

Eris hugged her back, but tensed and sighed. She was all set to tell the Queen and anyone who had asked a lie about what had happened, but even she knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere with it. "He grabbed me around the throat, I don't understand why, I mean I know that he gets jealous of me being around other men, but he's never done anything like that before."

The Queen looked at her in surprise, she hadn't expected to hear that Loki had been violent to anyone, a trickster yes, but violent, definitely not, especially to his beloved wife.

"I'm sure that he didn't mean it dear, maybe with everything that has been going on, he has gotten a little bit stressed." Frigga told her, though judging from the look in Eris' eyes; Loki being violent wasn't all that was on her mind. "What else is on your mind?"

"It's nothing my Queen." Eris told her.

"Eris, I can see when you're lying just as well as Loki can, now come on, tell me."

Eris sighed. "I fear that I may be with child." Eris whispered, and she looked at the Queen who had suddenly frozen at hearing the news of a possible grandchild.

"How long have you known about this?"

"A few days...I haven't told anyone, not even Loki."

"Eris, we will take you to the healing room later." The Queen told her. "We will need to confirm this."

"But my Queen, you are forbidden to leave these rooms."

"Eris, I am still Queen, I can do as I please, and anyway my husband will be fine here with Guards outside the door for protection."

Eris sighed and nodded. "As you wish it, my Queen."

"Come back here in the evening, and then we shall go together." She told her, watching Eris bow and then leaves her presence.

Later that night, Eris was walking through the corridors towards Frigga's chambers, but as she got there, she came across Loki. At seeing her husband, she bowed her head so that he didn't see her face and she bowed. "My King."

Loki was silent as he looked at her, at seeing his wife, he didn't realise how much he had missed her, but he was scared of what might happen if he touched her so he just bowed his head and walked away, feeling guilty as he felt Eris' upset through their mind connection. "I'm sorry, I just don't trust myself." He told her, before he carried on walking.

When he was gone, Eris continued walking to her destination and by the time she got there, Frigga was waiting for her.

"What took you so long?" Frigga asked as they walked towards the healing room.

"I was showing respect to my King."

"Did he say or do anything?"

"No, he just said that he was sorry and that he doesn't trust himself." She sighed. "My Queen, what if I am with child?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I do, I don't even know if Loki still wants to be with me, or what if the thought of a child makes everything worse?" She asked.

"Try not to worry about Loki, and I will be there for you the whole time." Frigga promised, and she looked at the healers who bowed when Eris and Frigga got there. "I need someone to perform a scan on Eris to see if she is with child or not."

One of the healers nodded, and offered Eris a helping hand so that she could lie down on the metal table. When Eris was sitting on top of it, she stretched her legs out and took off her swords, putting them on the floor. As she lay back, she looked worriedly at Frigga who gently stroked her hair.

"You're going to be fine." She promised before she moved away as a holographic image of Eris' body showed up above her and they watched as they zoomed in on her stomach and they all heard two heartbeats echoing around the room. The sound of the heartbeats made Frigga smile. "Two..." She whispered.

Eris suddenly started to smile, for the first time in days she felt happy and this time she wasn't going to stop it.

"Congratulations m'lady Eris." The healers chorused as she sat up and slid her swords back around her waist and stood on her own two feet, and was soon pulled into a hug by Frigga.

"Oh Eris, this is wonderful news." She smiled as they hugged, and when they pulled away they left the healing room.

They walked in silence for a while, before the Queen turned to Eris. "You will have to tell Loki soon."

"I know…But I'm still scared of his reaction and what he will do." She told her. "Could you possibly be there when I tell him?"

Frigga nodded. "Of course I will be." When they got to Frigga's room, Frigga took her seat at Odin's bedside, as Eris stood in the far corner. "Go and find King Loki." She told the guards, and as they left she looked at Eris. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous, I didn't realise that we were telling him now." She replied, watching the very high ceiling.

"It's better to do it now, because you won't tell him at all." Frigga replied. "I know you well enough Eris."

"Yes and that worries me." Eris smiled softly, as the doors opened and she went silent almost blending in with the shadows.

"You summoned me mother?" Loki asked as he walked in, his armour glistening, and the staff in his hand.

"Yes I did." She looked over at Eris. "Come here dear."

Eris glanced from Frigga, to Loki and then back to Frigga, before she walked over to Frigga and stood at her side.

"You two need to start talking again, there is something bigger going on right now." Frigga told them. "Loki, Eris told me what happened and neither of us blame you for it, but you need each other, especially now right Eris?" She asked, and Eris simply nodded.

"Why, what's going on?" Loki asked.

"Eris has something that she needs you to know."

Loki and Frigga both looked at Eris, expectantly, and Eris took a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Loki….You're…You're going to be a father." She whispered, bowing her head so that she didn't see his reaction.

Loki let the news of him soon becoming a father sink in, before he gave a large and wide excited smile. Unlike Eris, Frigga witnessed Loki's reaction and she smiled at it.

"How far along?"

"Not long." Eris kept her head bowed, and she gave a squeak when she felt herself suddenly picked up and swung around in a circle by Loki.

"Eris, this is brilliant news!" Loki smiled a wide and excited smile. "I'm going to be a father…" He whispered as he held Eris close to him, almost crushing her.

"Loki, be careful with her." Frigga reminded him, and Loki put Eris on her feet and loosened his hold on her.

"Oh Eris, I'm so sorry, when I done what I did, I scared myself and for the past few days I've been self-loathing and trying to work out what happened."

"Loki, it's okay, I don't want you to explain, let's just go and do our jobs and then retire early this evening." Eris suggested.

"That sounds like a really good idea." He told her, kissing her forehead. "Meet me at the royal dining hall, tonight and wear a dress."

Eris nodded and watched her husband leave, before he looked at the Queen. "He's planning something, isn't he?"

"Yes, but it sounds like a good thing." Frigga kissed her forehead. "You'll be fine, the children will be fine and Loki will be fine too. Don't worry about a thing." She smiled, watching Eris bow and leave.

When Eris had gone, Frigga walked to her husband and she took his hand again. "Oh my love, an amazing thing has happened, your son is to be a father." She whispered. "Loki and Eris will be expecting two children in a few months' time, it's going to be so exciting." She gently stroked his right cheek from where she was sitting. "I hope that they are aware of the trials that face them." She thought to herself.