Slowly golden light filtered into her nightmares and dragged her into the waking world. With a soft gasp, Maryn opened her eyes to a room filled with light and soft yellow and white flowing curtains, delicate furniture and a darkly handsome prince sitting amongst it all, his eyes devouring the book in his hands. Pushing herself into a seated position against the softest pillows imaginable, the petite princess looked him over. He was wearing black leather breeches, a green linen shirt open at the neck, a black sleeveless leather jerkin and heavy leather boots. Slicked back coal black hair that reached his collar and pale skin all made this man look both appealing and somehow out of place in this room of light and femininity.
"It is impolite to stare." His voice was both deep and velvet smooth and had Maryn wary of what his motives were.
"Why are you here?" She asked point blank and without any of the courtesies society expected of her.
Loki closed his book and lifted bright green eyes to her, "I am your betrothed. It is expected that I be here watching over you." Maryn looked away, her throat tight at the very idea of belonging to this or any man. "Would you prefer one such as my brother Thor?" Loki asked his voice light and teasing but when she glanced at him she saw the tense uncertainty in his gaze.
Turning away once more she blinked back confused tears. "I could hide myself from one such as your brother, my Lord."
"Forgive my intrusion then, Lady Maryn."
Looking up, Maryn watched as he unfolded his tall lithe frame from the chair he had been occupying. She bit her lip and focused on the window opposite her bed, watching from the corner of her eye as Loki bowed fluidly, turned on his heel, and left the room; a tick in his jaw and his lips pressed into a hard thin line.
Tora stepped into the room a moment after he had left. "Is everything alright, my Lady? Are you well? I can call the healer if you need her."
Maryn shook her head halting the worried redhead's words. "I just need to rest. My body aches. I will feel better after I've slept a little more." Turning her back to her handmaiden, she pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face into the pillow under her head so that her sobs would not be heard.
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Later, after she had slept, bathed, eaten a light meal, and dressed in a flowing black gown with embroidery on the breast and down over the hips, belted with a black silk tie, she was led to Frigga's chambers by Frigga's own handmaiden, Tora a few steps behind her. The antechamber was sumptuous, decorated in gold, the walls etched; tapestries hanging on every wall. A large pool sat in the middle of the room opposite a balcony and huge open doors looking out over the city. Maryn curtsied deeply when she saw that not only was Frigga waiting for her sat in a delicate golden chair and dressed in a heavy brocade gown of gold and blue, but Odin stood at her side, dressed in a golden tunic and brown leather breeches. Loki and Thor, both dressed in relaxed versions of their ceremonial armour, stood near the doors that led out to the balcony behind their parents.
Frigga smiled at the petite woman before her. "There is no reason to curtsy, dear. You are now among family." She said kindly.
Rising slowly, Maryn clasped her hands together but kept her gaze lowered as she waited for the Allfather or his wife to speak again.
Realising that the young woman would not be the first to speak, Odin stepped forward, "Frigga and I are sorry for the pain and grief you now feel. We know that if you had a choice it would be to return to your people and mourn your mother appropriately, however, that cannot happen. Your mother spoke candidly in her last message to us that Coros has many followers within the aristocracy of your planet and that it would not be safe for you to return there if anything were to happen to her." Maryn looked up at him tearfully at those words.
Frigga stood and walked over to her, standing in front of her and gracefully taking her hands. "We wish to offer you a home here with us. A chance to come to know Loki and perhaps even learn to love Asgard as your own home."
"And my people?" Maryn asked softly her eyes lowering to the two soft hands cradling her own, long fingers comfortingly brushing over her knuckles.
Frigga looked at her husband, a sad glint to her eyes. "Your mother signed a document that allows Asgard to take control of Mithros and your government has agreed to it."
Maryn pulled her hands from Frigga's and let them drop lifelessly at her sides, "And I will be the proof of this exchange." She murmured more tears filling her eyes and making them look even larger.
Frigga looked at her sadly, tears welling in her own blue eyes. "That is not why you are here, sweet one."
"Is it not, my Lady? Then please enlighten me as to why I am to be imprisoned in this gilded cage if it is not to seal a treaty made between our two worlds." Maryn spoke up, venom adding an angry sting to her words as she took a step back, her eyes hard.
"Enough!" Odin ordered. "Remember your place, Lady Maryn."
The small woman's eyes flashed as they darted to the Allfather's face. But she didn't speak, only dropped into a deep curtsy, head bowed. The pool, however, started to sway with small waves and Loki and Frigga both tensed as a wave of magic crackled through the air.
"Calm yourself, Lady Maryn." Loki hissed stepping forward and catching her arm in his grasp, pulling her upright none too gently. "Learn to control your power before you hurt someone."
Maryn looked away for the intensity of his stare was frightening.
"Loki." Frigga admonished gently, a hand on her son's forearm. "It is understandable that she is unable to control her magic at this time. Maryn has been through an unimaginable ordeal."
Pulling her arm from Loki's grasp, Maryn clenched her jaw and looked down at the ground once again trying to rid her body of the feel of her magic calling to Loki's own.
In the strained silence that followed, the petite brunette took a half step away from Loki and he seemed to calm down between one breath and another.
"Now," Odin smiled, "My son wishes to present you with a gift to seal the promise between the two of you."
Maryn stilled knowing what was next. Loki pulled a ring seemingly out of thin air and held it out to her. It was made of the finest platinum, an oval stone of green and grey-blue that appeared to slowly coil within the stone itself sat in the middle of the band. This gem was flanked by two pear shaped stones of the same colour a little smaller in size, their pointed ends facing out from the middle and sitting along the band. Four small round diamonds glittered in the spaces left where the stones touched on either side of the middle gem.
The colour of the stones was not lost on Maryn and she knew that once she allowed Loki to slip the ring onto her finger she would forever be marked as his property. Hesitantly she held a delicate, trembling hand out to him.
Loki slipped his ring onto her left hand, ring finger and watched as she dropped her hand as quickly as possible, only to tense when he caught it up in one of his own and bent over it to press a soft kiss to her knuckles. Her head still bowed she fought back tears at the feeling of the heavy ring on her finger.
Odin nodded, clearly pleased and overlooking the tension in the room. "We are pleased to have you join our people and our family, Lady Maryn. My sons will now escort you to be presented at court. If you'll excuse me I have a meeting with my generals. Frigga, make sure our sons do not overwhelm our daughter."
Maryn felt as if she were drowning when the Allfather called her his daughter. She kept her eyes downcast not wanting anyone to see her inner turmoil, most especially Loki.
"Finally!" Thor boomed, striding towards the petite woman who was now his brother's betrothed, "You must meet Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. They have been waiting to meet you and show you Asgard."
Maryn balked at the sight of the large god of thunder striding toward her only to have Loki step in front of her.
"Leave her, brother. She is not used to your ways and you frighten her," the dark prince murmured.
Maryn realised then that he may not be as wide as his brother but they were very near equal in height and both were great warriors. For some reason this made her feel safer with Thor but more on edge with Loki, something she promised herself she would try to figure out later, for now she was faced with a greater problem; Thor and Loki seemed to be on the cusp of an argument.
"That is quite enough, you two." Frigga spoke up suddenly, stepping around her sons to reach Maryn. "Ignore them, darling. They have spent too much time honing their skills in battle and seem to have forgotten that I have also taught them to be courteous lords of this realm." She admonished the two men standing with their heads bowed looking like scolded children. Frigga then slipped an arm around Maryn's waist, "Come my dear, let's go for a walk in the gardens." She glanced at her sons again, "We will meet you in the great hall before dinner so that you can introduce Maryn to your friends."
Thor and Loki bowed and then turned, leaving the room silently after their mother's nod.
"Now," Frigga smiled down at Maryn, "Let's take a turn around the gardens and you can explain to me exactly why you are so afraid of Loki." Seeing the surprised and shameful look on the younger woman's face, Frigga hugged her closer before leading her from the room and toward the outside world of the Palace, "I'm sorry you had to go through all you did and that you have been thrust into this family so forcefully, but there is no reason to fear my son."
Maryn started to twist the ring Loki had given her nervously around her finger, "It is not that, my Lady. I-I just…" she trailed off swallowing hard and looking away as they stepped out of the palace and into a beautiful garden filled with flowers, trees, and all manner of plant life and birds.
"You just fear that he can see you for who you truly are. You fear that you will never be able to hide yourself from him with your magic. You fear the way your power and body respond to him. Is that what you cannot put into words, Maryn?"
Stepping away a little, Maryn looked at the older woman and then promptly burst into tears.
Frigga smiled softly and led the petite younger woman to a marble bench a few feet away, waving her handmaiden and Maryn's away as she pulled the distraught young woman into her arms, "Sh-sh, little one. You do not have to fear this. My son would never use these things against you."
Maryn pulled away and looked at the beautiful queen, "He is a man, my Lady. He will use whatever he wishes against me the moment I anger him."
Frigga sighed sadly and tucked a lock of dark hair behind Maryn's ear. "You will see how good and caring he is once you get to know him.
"And if I never wish to know him?" Maryn asked softly, her grey eyes trained on her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Frigga pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before cupping her cheek and catching her eyes with her own sapphire gaze, "I know you're scared, Maryn, but the best way for you to build a life here is to allow those of us who care for you most in."
Maryn searched her gaze for a moment before leaning into her embrace and closing her eyes, fighting the need in her heart for the woman holding her to be her mother.