It was into the early hours of the morning when Maryn and Loki returned to their chambers. Maryn's birthday feast had still been in full swing but neither one had a second thought about leaving. They wanted time together, alone. The brunette princess carried her most prized gifts from the hall; a gold and ruby ring from Thor, and a beautiful jade pendant set into finely wrought silver with a delicate silver chain from Odin and Frigga. Tora and Brant had given her a string of tiny, pure white shells to weave into her hair and Gaia and Kersin gifted her with a delicate gold collar for Fenrir which she knew she would never use. It was Loki's gift, however, which she treasured most. He always seemed to know what she would cherish most and this gift was no exception. He had given her a small, black velvet bag, and when she had tipped its contents out into her palm, she had been amazed. A necklace of two gold chains, set with three moonstones at regular intervals had slid into her palm. The pendant of the necklace was of gold chains and moonstones set to look almost like a waterfall so that when she wore the jewel it would tastefully draw attention to her neck and décolletage.

"Do you like your gift?" Loki asked when they were alone in their bedroom.

Maryn smiled as she turned to him, her hands glowing sliver as her cream beaded gown, underclothes, other jewellery and slippers shimmered and then disappeared, leaving her in a conjured short, emerald green robe edged in black lace and nothing else, save for the necklace he had given her and her wedding ring. Boldly she reached up and pulled the silver and gold pins from her hair, letting her shiny, dark tresses fall down around her shoulders to her waist, "Do I look as if I enjoy my gift, my lord?" she asked him, her gaze sliding over his body and stopping bluntly at the front of his breeches.

Sinking down to sprawl on the chaise lounge in the middle of the space between their bed and the door, Loki smirked at her, his legs splayed wide and his arms draped over the back of the sofa as he let his gaze drift over her curves. "You look as if you want more than a delicate bauble for your birthday, little girl," he murmured, his voice dark with innuendo.

Tilting her head to the side in a display of shyness mixed with seduction, Maryn walked forward until she stepped between his knees, leaning down over him to steal a slow, molten kiss, before she whispered against his lips with a smirk of her own, "You know me too well, my lord."

Loki's large hands slipped under the silky robe and settled on her hips, his calloused thumbs rubbing circles into her quickly heating skin. He guided her to straddle his lap, her knees on either side of his hips and her hands gripping his tunic covered shoulders. He kissed down her neck before marking her collarbone with a love bite making her moan his name. She pushed him back a little so she had room to manoeuvre his tunic and shirt over his head leaving him bare-chested. Letting her fingers wander over his warm skin, dragging over the light dusting of hair on his chest, Maryn smiled against his cheek when his fingers deftly undid the tie securing the robe around her body, letting it fall open to reveal her nude body underneath. She looked up at him through her sooty eyelashes and reached for the laces at the front of his breeches before her gaze dropped to follow the movement of her hands. Loki, however, had other plans for the moment. He caught her wrists, the action bringing Maryn's grey irises back to his face.

"Not that I am complaining, sweet one," he said with a mischievous grin, "However, I would enjoy this more if you would agree to something."

A little confused by his request, Maryn nodded, "What is it you want, my love?"

"No quick-witted comment on this being your birthday so I must be the one to make promises and not you?" Loki teased with a raised eyebrow.

Rolling her eyes, Maryn pressed her palms to his chest and leaned in to rub her nose on his affectionately, "Would you rather I taunted you with comments about this being my day and not yours? Tell me what you want, Loki and I will tell you if I agree to your request."

He studied her for a few moments, his emotions guarded and Maryn realised that what he was about to ask was a serious matter to him. He, nevertheless, fell back to his roguish ways, no doubt to calm the tension she could sense in him, "I believe we would enjoy our love making, and no doubt be more enthusiastic in participating, if it had a new purpose."

Not sure whether to be offended or confused, Maryn shook her head, "I am unsure what you mean, Loki," she told him honestly.

He leaned in and kissed her suddenly, drawing a groan from her throat as his tongue invaded her mouth and tangled with her own, his hands brushing over her body beneath the robe as if he was learning her curves, even though they both knew he had already memorised every inch of her. He pulled her closer to his chest, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist as he trailed small nips and open-mouthed kisses over her neck and chest until she was panting his name, her fingers laced tightly into his hair. Pulling away slowly he pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes closed and their breath mingling in the small space between their lips. "I want to see you heavy with my child."

Maryn's mind stuttered to a halt at his words and a cold chill swept down her spine. Tensing, she pulled away and searched his face before pushing his hands away and getting up off his lap, wrapping her robe around her body and tying it tightly at her waist. There was silence between them that became colder the longer she kept her back to him and stayed silent.

"Do you not wish to have my child?" his tone was soft but she could hear the hurt and anger behind his words.

"I-I…" taking a breath she closed her eyes but kept her back to him, "We have been married for nearly a year and have done nothing to prevent pregnancy. I told you the women of my world find conceiving, not to mention carrying a child to term almost impossible. If I am not with child by now, what makes you certain that I can even-?" She cut herself off before she could say the words and hugged her arms around her waist. "It was a miracle Tora had a child at all." Tears slipped down her cheeks as she turned to look at the Dark Prince where he still sat on the chaise, his relaxed stance from minutes before gone, replaced by rigid shoulders, a ramrod straight back, and a blank mask covering all emotion she could read on his face and in his eyes. "Ask me to give you anything else and I would, but this…" she shook her head and closed her eyes. "I cannot give this to you, Loki, I am sorry."

There was silence once again between them and she felt as if her heart would beat its way through her chest. She jumped when cool fingers slid around her wrist and opened her eyes to find Loki standing before her, although she hadn't heard him move. He caught her gaze with his own and lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before he stepped closer. Turning her wrist up, he kissed the pulse fluttering beneath the paper-thin skin and then the inner side of her forearm.

Breath caught in her throat and her gaze locked with his, Maryn shivered when his lips grazed the inside crease of her arm and then he leaned in, his exhales warming the skin of her upper arm as he moved his head up to her shoulder. Her eyes rolled closed when he slid the silk robe off her right shoulder and kissed it gently before pressing his mouth to her throat, tilting her back over his arm. She shuddered as his talented lips brushed her jaw line and his long fingers unlaced the tie at her waist once more. He slowly pulled the garment from her body leaving her bare to his gaze, her only ornaments, his ring and the necklace. Heartbeat and breath quickening, Maryn looked up into his lust-darkened eyes to see the sadness there and knew he was as devastated as she was. She would never forgive herself for being unable to give him a child, an heir to carry on his blood and the magic they shared. Sobbing softly she cupped his face between her palms and kissed him. "I'm sorry," she whispered only to have him shake his head, making her look at him.

"If we are to have a child then we will be blessed with one, sweet girl," he murmured, his eyes moving over her face.

Desperate for any comfort Maryn twisted her fingers into his hair, "A child with our magic and your thirst for knowledge."

He nodded, his face brightened by a bittersweet smile, "And if he is like my brother?"

With a sad smile, she ran her fingers over his cheek, "Oh, Valhalla forbid such a thing," she teased trying to rid them both of their disappointment.

He pulled her into a tight hug, his face buried in the sweet smelling waves of her thick hair, "We will not give up, sweet one."

Leaning into him, Maryn wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him in an almost desperate move. She was trembling so hard Loki pulled away to look down at her only to see the need in her gaze. Understanding, he swung her up into his arms and carried her to his bed.

He made love to her so sweetly that she felt tears slide down her face and drip down to wet their skin as they lay together after. Her prince held her until she relaxed against him and she curled up against his side, her hand cradled in his on his chest until she drifted off to sleep.

Loki moved carefully away from her sleeping form, untangling their bodies so that he could sit on the edge of the bed, his head propped up on his laced fingers. "Why would mother and father make a match between us if they knew the possibility of an heir was so low?" he murmured to himself before glancing over at Maryn's sleeping face. He felt anger and betrayal sweep through him, "No heir; no one to carry on my line," his jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists as his eyes flashed, "Why?"

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Maryn awoke to the mid-morning sun warming her skin. She rolled over to see Loki sitting, cross-legged, up in bed dressed in his black sleep pants and black linen shirt, Fenrir sitting back on his haunches before the Trickster, his small head tilted to the side as if he was confused.

"Good morning, my love," she murmured sleepily, conjuring a simple white nightgown onto her body as she sat up and smiled tentatively at her husband, unsure if the revelations from the night before were still a barrier between them. "What are you doing to our pup?"

Loki's intent gaze never left the baby wolf as he answered her question, "I cannot be with you every moment of every day, sweet one. Fenrir can. I am merely using him as my eyes when I am away from you."

She saw his hands glow emerald and smiled. "This is our home Loki. I am safe here."

The Dark Prince lifted his gaze from Fenrir to her and the pup shook its entire body before padding over to curl into the dip in Maryn's lap made when she crossed her legs. "You forget you have been hurt here, Maryn."

She looked away, scratching Fenrir behind his ear and biting her bottom lip. "Not everyone is set to wound us in some way, love."

Her reached out and coaxed her to look up at him, a crooked finger under her chin, "Let me protect you as best I can, sweet one. Having you safe is more important to me than anything."

Smiling gently, Maryn reached up with her free hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, leaning into his touch, "Alright, Loki. I understand."

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then leant his forehead to hers, the silence wrapping around them, calming, a gentle caress.