The next few days were hard for Maryn. With Odin still locked in his restorative sleep, Frigga refusing to leave his side, Thor banished, and Loki taken over the throne and keeping away from her, she felt adrift in the world she had come to call her own. Since the night Loki had left their rooms, she hadn't seen him. She slept alone, took her meals in their chambers, and kept out of the public eye. Hearing that Loki was acting as king while his father was unconscious, she made sure to have her handmaidens keep an eye on what was happening and report everything back to her. Therefore, it was not a surprise when Volstagg and Fandral asked for an audience with her the evening of the fifth day of Loki's reign as regent.
"My lady," both men dropped on one knee when they were ushered into the anteroom by Brant, Tora standing beside Maryn's chair for decorum's sake.
With a feigned smile, Maryn stood and encouraged them to stand with a press of her palm on their shoulders, "We are friends; there is no need for you to bow to me."
Fandral was the first to speak after the pair had shared a look, "Maryn, we must speak with you regarding an urgent matter."
Tora offered them wine and food, which they both declined, while Maryn motioned for them to sit in the two empty chairs before her. Once they were settled, she sat as well, smoothing over her gown of cream chiffon, pleated and gathered at her left hip, gold beads decorating the sleeveless, high-necked bodice, and sparsely scattered over the long skirt. Earrings of dark metal and gold decorated with champagne diamonds hung from her earlobes, the etched pink crystal flowers hanging from them swaying gently with every move she made. Her hair she had left loose except for a simple braid across the back of her head. She wanted to look calm and put together in their eyes, even if inside she was breaking apart.
Settling her hands in her lap, Maryn lifted her grey eyes to the two warriors before her, "What urgent matter can I help you with?" she asked formally.
"You know Loki has taken the throne," Volstagg didn't pose his words as a question but Maryn chose to answer him just the same.
"I had heard he was named regent until the Allfather rises once more," she nodded projecting a serene countenance.
Fandral scoffed, "Named regent? He has taken the throne and there is no doubt that he will keep it, whether Odin awakens or not."
Maryn glanced at him sharply, "You know this for a fact, my lord?"
"There is no other explanation," Fandral boldly kept his gaze locked with hers.
Looking away sorrowfully, Maryn fought to hold back her tears, "How long have you known Loki, Fandral?"
"All my life," he growled out.
She lifted her eyes to his face once more, "Yet it takes a mere week for you to lose your faith and trust in him; a meagre few days in the hundreds of thousands that you have known him and you decide he is the villain."
The blonde Aesir looked away, shame colouring the back of his neck and cheeks, "He refuses to bring Thor home."
"He says that it would be wrong to negate the Allfather's final decree as his first act, that Thor has brought us to the brink of war and needs to pay for his mistake," Volstagg added.
Shifting a little in her seat, Maryn tried to understand Loki's view and choice on the subject of Thor, "Could that not mean he will come to a decision once the Jotun nation has been appeased?"
There was silence from both lords and Maryn knew they had not thought of Loki's words in that way, they were too caught up in their own anger and helplessness in the situation. And they were all helpless. If Loki truly wanted to keep Thor away from Asgard, he had the means and power to do so.
Feeling her muscles tense with stress, Maryn made her decision, "I will go and speak with Loki, perhaps have him rule that Thor's banishment will end once peace with the Jotuns has been restored."
Realising that she would do the best she could, Volstagg and Fandral stood and bowed, before each of them pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you," Volstagg murmured in her ear before he released her and stepped back, Tora leading both men from the room.
When the handmaiden returned, Maryn saw the look she was giving her and turned away, "I will speak with the prince; his decrees must have a reasonable explanation behind them."
Tora shook her head and turned her mistress to face her, "If he does not you must leave this marriage."
Shocked, Maryn was silent for a few moments, "I-I must leave my marriage?" she repeated.
Nodding, Tora, took her hands and cradled them between her own, "This is madness, my lady. Prince Loki has lost himself to anger and revenge. He has taken this opportunity to do away with his rival permanently. Leaving Thor weak and powerless on Earth is the only way he knows his power is secure."
Maryn wrenched her hands from Tora's grip, incensed by the woman's sudden betrayal. "How can you say such a thing? Loki would never do what you are suggesting! If he has become lost in his rage, then he can be brought back. Do not speak to me about leaving my husband again, Tora, for I will not."
She moved to leave the room but Tora caught her arm. "Please, Maryn, as your friend and the sister of your heart, I beg you to leave him now. I have seen his madness before. Coros had the same look in his eyes before he made a move to take your mother's kingdom from her."
Flinching, Maryn stepped away from the taller woman, tears starting to slide down her cheeks, "He is not mad, and I will not leave the man I love." Turning the princess all but ran from the room, fighting back tears as she made her way to the throne room.
When she stood at the massive double doors, she wiped away her tears and straightened her shoulders. Pushing one door open she walked in and made her way toward the throne sitting atop its dais. She could see Loki sprawled in the large gilt seat, dressed in his ceremonial armour and helmet, Fenrir lying at his feet. However, when she walked closer, she saw the unfocussed look in his eyes, as if he was not even in the room, but rather in a different world entirely.
"Loki," she called softly, stopping at the foot of the dais steps and looking up at him. Their link felt strangely muted and she felt sick at the thought that he had somehow broken or blocked the bond she shared with him.
The sound of her voice brought his gaze to her, and there was a flash of something in his eyes, which he quickly hid. Standing, he grinned down at her and reached out a hand to encourage her to climb the steps.
Taking a breath, Maryn lifted her skirts in one hand and started up the stairs. Once she reached him, she settled her hand in his, the coolness of his skin the same as ever, her heart skipping a beat when he closed his hand around hers and helped her up the last few steps.
"Our friends have come to you, I hear," he spoke suddenly, turning and seating himself in the throne once more as she tried to steady her heartbeat and think of a gentle way to broach the subject of Thor's return.
"They are worried that you have refused to allow Thor's return to aid your own agenda," Maryn spoke truthfully. "They asked that I come and speak with you to find out your reasons refusing to even think of having Thor come back to Asgard."
His lips twisted in a dry smirk, "Come now, wife, they would not have used such delicate words."
Lowering her eyes, Maryn clasped her hands before her, "They did not, but they are truly worried that you have been offended in some way by Thor, and therefore are taking out your anger on him."
There was silence between them and Maryn prayed that he would see sense.
"And you, little wife, do you worry about my brother?" although his face was emotionless his words were venomous.
Refusing to cry again, Maryn shook her head, "I hope my brother is safe but I worry for the man I love most of all."
Loki studied her then, a calculating look on his face. She felt his magic swell suddenly and his fingers sparked with emerald magic. In the next breath, her dress was replaced by a one-shouldered gown of emerald silk. The neckline encrusted with black and green sequins, a swath of green chiffon sewn at the shoulder to sweep down over her back and chest and around her hip to form a train and cape. Her earlobes became heavy with gold, diamond, pearl and emerald earrings that reached almost to her shoulders, a matching necklace a pendant of the same design hanging from ropes of tiny seed pearls at her throat. A heavy gold and pearl bracelet had appeared on her wrist and her hair now pinned into a low bun made from a mass of loose braids, curls falling to frame her face.
She stepped back, the soft swish of her skirts against the flagstones seemed real enough, but she knew an illusion when she saw one, "What are you doing, Loki?"
He smirked, Gungnir clasped in his right hand, "You are my queen; you should be adorned as such."
She pushed her hand down in a swiping motion, her magic reversing his spell and returning her clothing, jewellery and hair to its original look. "You are trying to distract me, Loki, but it will not work. I came to speak with you as my husband, not as king."
"Can I not be both?" he asked his tone flat and face emotionless.
Frustrated that she could not read him, Maryn wrapped her arms around her torso, "Will you agree to retrieve Thor once peace has been made with the Jotuns?"
He turned his gaze to the large columns behind her, "I will review his sentence once Jotunheim has been brought to heel."
Knowing she could get no other promise from him on the matter, Maryn curtsied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
His sharp gaze is on her again when she straightens and looks at him. There is annoyance and disappointment in their dark depths and she takes a step toward him, only to stop when he speaks again, "You need not bow to me, woman. I am not my father."
"No, Loki, you are my husband." Cautiously she took another step toward him. "And yet you have pushed me away at every instance since we returned from Jotunheim."
He looked almost ashamed at her words and she thought for a moment that she would get answers for his behaviour, only to feel her heart sink when he turned his eyes to the columns once more.
"Perhaps you should go and sit with my mother, wife," he murmured coldly.
"No!" she snapped. Crossing the distance between them, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his, her hands pressed delicately to either side of his neck under the metal and cloth collar of his garb. She felt him swallow hard between the first kiss and the next and then he relaxed a little, his hands lifting to settle on her hips. The saltiness of her tears mixed with the taste of him and she pulled back with a soft gasp, pressing her forehead to the metal of his helmet where it dipped down over his brow in a point. In the next breath his helmet disappeared, and she closed her eyes at the brief skin on skin contact. "Please, Loki, I can't live with your hate. It has been barely seven days and I already feel broken."
He pulled back tears in his own eyes, "I do this to protect you, Maryn."
Anger, hot and bitter, swept through her, "I don't need protection, Loki; I need my husband!" she straightened and stepped back from him, her hands clenched at her sides and her magic surging through her veins.
He stood and motioned toward the doors of the throne room, "Frigga will enjoy your company."
Without thought, she raised her hand and slapped him, the blow echoing through the deathly silent chamber. They stood staring at each other for a moment, Loki's eyes wide with shock.
Maryn was stunned at her outburst as well. Never had she raised her hand to anyone and the only person who had driven her so close to such infuriated violence was Sigyn. Heart pounding she shook her head feeling suddenly feint. "I-I…"
Loki reached out and caught her arm when she swayed dangerously on her feet. When she was standing a little firmer, he pulled his hand away. "Perhaps you should go and sit with Frigga."
"Perhaps I should," Maryn agreed faintly, her expression dazed.
Fenrir stood and stepped to her side, allowing her to hold onto his neck to keep her balance when she turned and started down the dais stairs, her steps faltering briefly at the bottom. However, she refused to turn back and look at Loki. Reeling from the aggression she had showed and the deterioration of their marriage in such a short time, Maryn struggled against her instincts to turn and beg Loki to hold her. When she had first recognised her feelings for him she had thought that all hardships in their life together could be overcome through their love; but she saw now that perhaps some things were just too big to be defeated by love, no matter how pure and all-consuming that love was.