Romance and Sorrow

When Eris had finished her duties, she walked to hers and Loki's room and she took a soothing bath, before dressing in an emerald green dress with black trimming, and she slid on some black flats to go with it, leaving her hair down she went off to where she was meant to be meeting up with Loki. When she got there, she waited in the doorway of the royal dining hall to be announced.

"Presenting, her eminence, Lady Eris!" The announcer suddenly called out, and everyone in the room turned to look at her, some smiling some not, but they all bowed. As Eris was announced, Loki finally took interest, and he stood from the throne and walked to where the steps up to him ended and he watched his wife walk towards him. Eris walked with her head held high, and she stopped at the bottom of the steps to the throne and she curtsied to him.

"My, Queen." Loki summoned her, holding his hand out to her, which she walked up to his side and joined him, her fingers sliding between his and she started a mind conversation between each other as they took their seats in the thrones.

"I thought that you had left me and decided not to love me anymore."

"I would never do that to you." He told her, smiling at her. "Hmm, how come I have never seen this dress before?"

"Your mother had it made for me a day or two ago, in an attempt to cheer me up." She looked up at him. "Why, don't you like it?"

"It looks perfect on you, this one and the green with gold trimming, as well as the blue one with silver trimming are my favourite dresses of yours."

She smiled. "Well, I shall have to try and remember to wear them more often for you."

"Please do." He stood once again stood and led her into the dining room so that they could all enjoy the dinner."Please sit, my love, I hope that you are hungry."

Eris nodded as she sat in the chair that he pulled out, placing a napkin on her lap as Loki sat at the other end of the long table and when their guests had joined them, they started to eat.

When they had finished, Eris watched the candles before she smiled at hearing music start up.

"Oh Loki, a Volta." She smiled, looking at her husband.

"I know that it is your favourite dance." He smiled, as heremoved his helmet and stood, walking over to his wife and taking her hand, leading her away from the table to where they would be able to dance and he bowed to smiled at her husband's bow, before she curtsied, and she danced with him, being closer to each other than the dance should have been, and each held obvious lust in their eyes as they looked at each other. Despite there being other people in the room with them, they seemed to have forgotten that and kept their minds transfixed on each other and each other alone. When the dance drew to a close, Eris and Loki smiled widely at each other, and then they walked back to their seats at the table as another song started up.

"My lady, if you don't mind me asking, why have you been away from court for the past few days?" A middle aged woman asked, looking across the table at Eris.

Eris looked at the woman as she put a hand on the table and Loki's rested over it as he lent back in his chair. "I was unwell; my king had allowed me some time away from court in order to get myself better."

"Oh right." She was obviously about to say something else, but Eris had guessed that Loki had given her a look, telling her to shut up since she felt his grip on her hand tighten.

Eventually everyone left and it was only Eris and Loki left in the room with a few maids who were cleaning up the room.

"Would you prefer to retire now?" Loki asked her, kissing her hand.

Eris nodded. "Yes please my love." She stood and she smiled softly at feeling Loki suddenly pick her up in his arms. "Loki, I can walk."

"I know, but this is my turn to pamper you, especially now that you are with child." He smiled.

"So you're not going to let me do anything?" She asked.

"Well, I can't stop you at the moment, but the minute that you start to show, you are going to be taking it easily."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She laughed when he dropped her onto the softness of their bed, before she got up and changed.

When they were both dressed for bed, they lay next to each other, Eris on her side as Loki lay on his back, looking at his wife.

"What would like a son or a daughter?"

"I'm not sure; as long as they are healthy I really wouldn't mind." Eris smiled. "I just want us to have a family, whether it's just sons, or just daughters, or both, I wouldn't mind."

Loki smiled looking at her. "I've missed you these past few days." He brushed some hair out of her face as he spoke.

"I've missed you too my love." She told him, brushing a hand down one side of his face, until she reached his chin and then she pulled him closer until their lips met, and they shared a loving kiss, Loki's hands resting on her cheeks, keeping her close. When their kiss was eventually broken, they shared a smile, before Loki lifted an arm and Eris rested her head on his chest, smiling at feeling his arm wrap around her.

"Sleep now my love." Loki whispered.

"Try and be here in the morning so that we can lie here a little longer together."

"I will try to love, but I can't make promises." Loki reminded her, before they both settled down to sleep.

When Eris woke up the next morning, she found a note where Loki should have been, and she sighed before picking it up and reading it out loud to herself. "Eris, I would have stayed in bed longer if I could, but unfortunately something has occurred which requires my immediate attention. I will be with you tonight, I promise. All my love, Loki."

As she put the note back on his side of the bed, she got up and changed into her armour, before looking in the mirror and allowing her eyes to focus on her unnoticeable baby bump.

"I can't wait to meet you both." She whispered, before she grabbed her swords and headed down to the training courtyard, where she met up with Lady Sif and they started to practice.

"How are things with you and Loki?" Sif asked as they stood and took a break.

"Things are going well, he is really sorry after what happened." Eris told her. "In fact, they are amazing."

"What's happened?" Sif asked, suspiciously.

"Don't tell anyone else okay, but I'm pregnant with twins." She whispered to her.

"Oh my lord, really?" She beamed. "Eris that is brilliant news, does anyone else know?"

"The Queen knows that it's twins, but Loki doesn't he only knows that I'm pregnant." She smiled. "But remember Sif, you can't breathe a word of this to anybody, not even the Warriors Three."

"You have my word as a Warrior and your friend." Sif smiled, hugging Eris tightly, and she beamed when Eris hugged her back.

The two warriors went back to practice and after a few minutes, everyone around them bowed and as Eris and Sif looked in the direction that they were all facing, even Sif bowed. Eris stayed standing and she smiled at seeing her husband had been watching them.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that Sif knows of our child."

"I'm sorry, but I had to tell someone the excitement was killing me my love, and she has promised to keep this to herself."

"It's alright my love, and as long as she keeps it quiet."

Eris smiled and she was suddenly standing beside her husband, smiling as she rested her hands on the hilts of her swords and Loki turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry about this morning."

"It's alright, I know that you're very busy at the moment." She smiled softly, kissing his lips gently. "I understand and I don't mind."

Loki nodded, sliding an arm around his wife's waist pulling her over so her back was against his chest, and he was resting his head on top of hers. "I have to go back to my duties, but I will try and see you tonight, don't overdo things." He told her, turning her around and kissing her before he left.

Eris watched him leave, before she smiled to herself and went back to Lady Sif who had been joined by the Warriors Three.

"Eris, we wish to talk to you." Volstagg told her as she joined them. "In private."

Eris looked at her friends with a raised eyebrow before she looked around them. "Everyone leave us, we wish to discuss private business!"

At her words, the crowd of people around them all left the courtyard and they were alone, which caused Fandral to whistle.

"I wish I had that amount of power over people."

"No one would follow you; you'd have the palace in uproar within seconds." Hogun told him.

"I certainly wouldn't."

"Before you two start an argument, what do you guys want to talk about?" Eris asked.

"Well, the truth is Eris, you're perfect for the throne but Loki isn't..." Sif started to try and explain the situation to her.

"So you see, we need to bring Thor back." Hogan added.

"I don't see what this has to do with me." Eris told them.

"Well, we were thinking that maybe you could talk to Loki, after all you are his wife and he is your husband, he always listens to you." Fandral told her.

"So you want me to anger my husband by requesting that he brings his brother back?" Eris asked to clarify.

"Well, yes." Volstagg told her.

"Do you guys have any idea how suicidal that is?" Eris looked at them, she didn't look mad but her voice had turned to ice. "I don't fancy making my husband angry at me for something that you guys want. I'm sorry but as his wife I cannot and will not do that." Eris told them, before she started to walk away.

"What about as a warrior, please Eris." Sif pleaded. "You know that Loki isn't meant to rule, you can see Chaos, and surely Chaos is approaching with Loki on the throne."

Eris stopped for a second, before she carried on walking; she heard the sigh of the Warriors and their quiet muttering about what they would do now that she wouldn't help them.

When Eris was completely out of sight and earshot, they tried to make a plan in order to get Thor back from his banishment.

"We must go and find Thor ourselves." Sif told them.

"Shh, Heimdall might be watching." Volstagg told them in a hushed voice. "Remember, he sees and hears all."

"That provides us with an uncharacteristic hurdle though chaps." Fandral started. "We can't get off of Asgard without Heimdall or Eris, and both of them have to side with Loki, and we all know what will happen if we ask him."

"Fandral has a point, not to mention that it is treason."

"We don't exactly have a lot of options though, you all saw Eris stop when I asked her of the Chaos that is going to occur, and she might know something." Sif told them.

"She might be scared to admit that her beloved husband is capable for something sinister, remember we have known him longer than she has." Fandral told them.

"A Prince of darkness, master of tricks and deceit, could he have possible deceived his 'beloved wife'?" Hogun questioned.

"No. Loki loves Eris too much, she is the only one besides Frigga who can bring the good out in him, he would never deceive her." Sif reasoned. "Loki and Eris have a mind connection, it's called Koontah, Eris told me about it once. It's the most intimate thing two lovers can do, but it can only be done by a shade and their lover. Eris and Loki can hear each other's thoughts, which are why they don't talk as much as they did before they were married."

"So even if Eris was going to help, she wouldn't be able to think of it without alerting Loki." Volstagg guessed.

"Exactly, I think Eris will be helping us, just not in a way that Loki would expect." Sif finished. "Now come on, let us go to Heimdall and see what he can do for us."

The Warriors all snuck off to the armoury to get ready in their armour and find their weapons, before they decided to walk towards where the Bifrost was, hoping to find Heimdall in his usual spot. This wasn't going to be an easy task.