One evening, Loki found her reading by the fire in their chambers. "Dinner was deadly dull without you," he said by way of a greeting.

"I'm sorry I missed it. Did you give the trade delegation my regrets?"

"I did indeed. It's not fair that you were able to get out of dinner and I had to go." He sounded petulant, but she knew he was just teasing her. He briefly moved her outstretched legs and sat down, repositioning her feet over his lap.

"You don't have a child growing inside of you making it feel like your stomach is very cross with you."

His face softened and he leaned over to place a kiss on her distended abdomen. "Would you like me to fetch the healers for you?"

"They came and went earlier, but thank you. They're not even really sure it's the baby, but I think otherwise."

"Why?"

"I feel fine until I go to eat something and then I get violently ill. And I just have this feeling that she doesn't want whatever I'm having. It's just a feeling, but it's a strong one. The healers think I'm being fanciful. It's actually quite entertaining to see them struggle to say as much without calling the queen an outright nitwit."

He chuckled, picturing the scene, and began to rub one of her bare feet. "Mmmmm. That feels better than it has any right to." Although only five months in, she already looked close to full term and the host of late pregnancy issues were already rearing their ugly heads. She was swollen and achy and fatigued almost all the time now.

"Has the swelling lessened any?"

"Some. If I don't move around too much, but I can't stay cooped up in this room until the baby comes. I'd go mad. Plus, if I stop the little bit of walking I'm still able to do, I'm likely to need a tent maker as my tailor."

He stopped the massage and studied her face. The grim set of her mouth told him she wasn't merely joking. "You have no idea how radiant you look, do you?"

"Radiant? That word must have a separate meaning in Asgard."

"I swore I'd never lie to you, Erna. You are beautiful and you have been at every stage of this. I wish I was able to demonstrate to you how physically pleasing I still find you." The lascivious look he wore made it clear what such a demonstration would entail.

"And what's stopping you, if not my appearance?"

"I don't want to hurt the baby." He seemed genuinely aghast at the question.

"What makes you think you'd hurt the baby?"

"I thought that sex of any kind was hazardous to the child during pregnancy." Managing to look both defiant and curious, he peered back at her.

"Where in the nine realms did you hear that?" She sat up straighter and glared at him incredulously.

"Thor told me when we were boys."

"And you really think young Thor was an authority on pregnancy? How cruel it would be to have a woman unable to participate and yet constantly desire sex."

"Constantly?"

"Close to it."

"I've been keeping my lustful thoughts to myself for months because I listened to something idiotic my brother told me when we were children?"

"He wasn't completely wrong. We do have to be careful near the end, but it's still possible." She looked down and studied the pattern of the blanket draped over her. "I thought it was because you no longer desired me. Or that you only ever lay with me to do your duty."

"Erna, look at me." She did as he bade, face set in sad defiance, prepared for confirmation of what she suspected. "We talked about the need for an heir when we began this arrangement."

"I know. I'm just being silly. Probably my hormones or some-"

"You didn't let me finish. Politically it's advantageous to have a child with you, but I desire you for more than just your womb. You are entirely captivating, Erna. I'm enjoying this more than I ever thought was possible."

"I... I am too." His confession floored her. He was rarely cold towards her, but he'd never outright admitted this either. A warm feeling of contentment spread across her chest.

"In fact, given the new information at my disposal, I would like to enjoy you completely tonight. If you're up to it that is."

She nodded eagerly, unable to trust that her voice wouldn't break. The distance Loki had put between them had hurt her more than she ever cared to admit. Even knowing now that it came from a misunderstanding, it still left her emotional just thinking about it. So she'd push such negative thoughts away and focus on the joy of it.

Somehow, despite her bulky shape, Loki lifted her into his arms with no apparent effort. He could just be acting for the sake of her feelings, but it made her feel better all the same.

When he placed her on their bed, it was with the utmost care. "Loki, I'm not going to break."

"Your body has changed, little one, and no matter how much you protest, you are more fragile than before. I won't apologize for treating you as such."

"I don't think you've really seen how much it has changed." She was suddenly nervous, more so than she'd ever been when they came together before.

"Then you've taken no notice of my sideways glances. I've watched you closer than you realize, Erna. I meant it when I said you were radiant. You've always been beautiful to me, but now it's like you've bloomed into an entirely different kind of beauty."

She swallowed hard, a bit overwhelmed by his words. "I... thank you."

"I wish you'd have mentioned your apprehensions sooner, little one. We could have worked all this out long before now and I could have dedicated my nights to helping you appreciate your new shape." He gave her a smile that was equal parts mischief and lust. "I'll just have to try and make up for lost time."

In an instant her robe and gown were gone. It always amazed her how easily it was done. She didn't even feel the tug of fabric; it was like the garments simply turned to vapor and dissipated.

Despite his assertion that he'd kept a close eye on her, his sharp intake of breath said otherwise. It made her pulse race. The single word he uttered in response left her in no doubt as to his sincerity. "Gorgeous."

In a flash, he was beside her, his own clothes gone now too. His hands were suddenly everywhere it seemed, roving over her flesh, as if trying to memorize her new curves. Physically he may be treating her carefully, but when his lips crushed against hers, she saw that his kisses were no less heated than they usually were.

He pulled her back against his chest. "If you're ever uncomfortable, let me know immediately, little one. I mean it." It wasn't a request.

She simply nodded and relaxed into him as his hands continued to move over her skin. He traced his mouth along her neck as he worked, eventually latching onto her pulse point, making her moan with pleasure. It had been such a long time since they'd enjoyed each other this way. She felt like an impatient teenager, wet and waiting with minimal prompting.

Finally, he gently hitched her leg up and back over him, allowing him better access. He lined up against her entrance and began to slide in slowly and carefully.

Once fully seated, he murmured, "You have no idea how much I missed this, missed you."

"Loki, I appreciate how sweet you're being, but my hormones are on high alert and we haven't had sex in months. I'm going to need you to get to it before I combust."

With only a nip at her earlobe as confirmation, he began to move. She could tell he wanted to keep it slow at first, but at her urging (and begging) he picked up his pace. And as if she wasn't ready enough, he reached around and began rubbing her clit in time with his thrusts.

It would have been embarrassing how quickly she came if it was anyone else but him. She knew Loki would understand and probably even took great pride in the affect he had on his wife. When she felt him spill inside her only moments after her own orgasm was over, she knew he was in the same situation. Oddly, that made her feel better about the whole thing.

Moving her again as if she weighed nothing, he rearranged them once they'd both gotten their breathing back to normal. She curled up with her head on his chest, awash with feelings of relief and contentment. She hadn't truly admitted to herself how hurt she'd been at his lack of physical attention. Now she was so relieved she almost wanted to cry.

"You know," Loki's chest rumbled beneath her cheek as he spoke, "if you didn't look so utterly ravished and exhausted, I would invite you to bathe with me. But I fear you need to rest now, little queen."

"I'm not exactly little right now, husband."

"You barely come up to my shoulder. Our child will probably be born taller than its mother."

"Her mother, thank you." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I can't help it that I married a giant." His eyes clouded over at her inopportune word choice. She rushed on, "but you're my giant and I shall have to endure being shorter than you for the next several thousand years. My only hope is that old age brings you closer to my height. Or I employ stilts."

"You'll do no such thing. I don't want you breaking your neck just to be taller than me." She breathed an internal sigh of relief when the humor returned to his tone.

"At least in bed my stature is of no consequence."

"How very true. I must remember that. And on a related note, I must have words with my brother for unnecessarily depriving me of my wife for months."

"You're partially to blame for believing the words of a young boy. But you can go contemplate creative ways to express your ire with him while you bathe."

"Are you ejecting me from our bed?" he demanded in tones of mocked outrage.

"Temporarily. I want some tea before bed. If you make it quick I may be able to wait up for you."

"As my queen commands."

When he returned half an hour later, the pale, sweaty countenance that greeted him was a shock. "Erna, are you all right?"

"She didn't want tea," she managed weakly. "But I kept a few sips down, which is progress."

"Not enough progress for my liking. The healers had better offer you a remedy tomorrow." He all but growled his words, but the concern on his face was unmistakable. As loath as he would be to admit it, Odin had rubbed off on him if the stories of the former king were to be believed.

"I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning, Loki."

"I certainly hope so." He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before retreating to the doorway. "I have matters that still need attending to. Please get some rest."

"Will you stay with me?" The question came out marginally slurred with fatigue and he realized that she'd only stayed awake waiting for him to join her in bed. The tousled waves surrounding her earnest face couldn't be more alluring if arranged by an artist painting a portrait.

He cleared his throat, temporarily overwhelmed with his affection for her. While not an unfamiliar sentiment, the strength of it at that moment surprised him. "Of course, if you want me to."

"I always want you to."

She barely stayed awake long enough for him to settle into position beside her. All he got in the way of a goodnight, was a small satisfied grunt when his hand slid around her and settled on her stomach. The day hadn't gone to plan in several ways, something that usually led to a thunderous mood, but he no longer cared about the tedious dinner or the crop report he'd intended to finish that night. He was content to enjoy the feel of his wife beside him as he drifted off to sleep.

-XXX-

Terrible dreams beset her as she slumbered. Scene after scene of normal palace life would descend into chaos and violence and each time she was forced to witness it, all participants deaf to her wails of torment. Banquets devolved into brutal brawls, the royal court into a debate that quickly turned murderous. Over and over she watched as her family, friends, servants, and strangers alike tore each other to pieces while she stood helpless to prevent it.

When she finally woke, she felt almost as exhausted as she had when she went to sleep. It took several minutes before she felt able to even open her heavy eyes. She was more than a little surprised to spot Loki seated in a nearby chair rather than beside her in bed. He looked as if he had slept as badly as she did.

"I'm sorry to have slept so long." Her throat croaked the words out, dry and harsh. For a moment he stared at her in shocked silence before bolting out of the chair and into the hallway. She heard him shouting for a healer and wondered what had upset him so.

Almost immediately, the elder healer, face set in stern lines Erna knew well, bustled into the room with the king in tow.

"How do you feel, my queen?"

"Tired, but I don't believe I need your assistance. I just slept badly and I fear the king is more worried about me than he should be."

"You've been asleep for four days!" His voice boomed around the room and she saw clearly how truly upset he was. He continued in a more subdued, but still intense tone, "I couldn't rouse you. Nobody could. We had no idea if you'd ever wake again."

"Four days?" She prayed she'd misheard him. "How is that possible?"

Eir answered in her matter-of-fact way, "Poison."

"I don't understand," she said weakly. Although now that she'd recovered more of her senses, she knew it to be true. She was dressed in a gown that she hadn't worn when they'd gone to sleep and she felt the gnaw of hunger only present after many days without proper food.

"Someone put poison into the tea you had before bed." Loki explained it in dispassionate tones, but she could see the anger seething just below the surface.

Eir turned to the king and spoke, ignoring Erna. "I don't believe she'll have any ill effects, but she needs to eat. Something much more substantive than the broth we were able to get into her as she slumbered."

"Show me how to accomplish that without subjecting my wife to another dose of poison and I'll gladly comply with your prescription." He didn't bother to disguise the venom in his words.

"Would you help me up, Loki?"

"I wouldn't advise that," Eir still spoke directly to Erna's husband, a fact that would certainly bother her when she thought about it later. "She's likely to be very weak."

"Please?" She made her request directly to her husband. "I feel like I need to move around."

"I won't let her fall," he asserted.

Gingerly, he supported her as she rose from the bed and walked over to the fireplace. It took a tremendous effort of will just to make the dozen or so steps, but the labor felt mostly good. Some of the vestiges of stupor fell away and she felt more like herself.

"That's far enough for now." He whispered it in her ear as she felt him pull her back against his chest, one arm closing protectively across her. "I've got you, darling." It wasn't the first time he'd ever used such a moniker with her, but it was a rarity all the same. She'd noticed that he was always careful to address her by her name or the title of wife or queen, and in private teasing her about her short stature. Fanciful pet names weren't generally his style. Nevertheless, she felt the fingers of his free hand twine with hers and he squeezed reassuringly.

They faced the healer as a pair, a cohesive unit. It felt good to be with him this way. Ever since she'd gotten pregnant it had felt like she was some breakable thing he'd wanted to protect, rather than a partner that stood with him.

"Immediately, she'll need food and rest as the toxin continues to work out of her system."

"She is your queen and can be addressed directly." Ah, so Erna hadn't been the only one to notice Eir's borderline rude behavior.

"Yes of course, your majesty." The healer's cold eyes met Erna's. "My queen, you must find a way to eat if the child is to stay healthy."

"Of course. Thank you for watching over me as I slept. Please thank your whole team for me, until I can speak to each of them myself."

"Yes, my queen." The slight bow of her head was a major concession, likely borne of the woman's fear of her king.

"Leave us." He all but spat the words in disgust. Eir couldn't seem to leave fast enough. Erna found a small measure of amusement and couldn't be bothered to feel guilty for it.

As soon as they were alone, he relaxed against her and buried his face in her hair. "I was so frightened," he managed in a weak voice.

"I'm sorry to have caused you distress, Loki. I truly am, but although I'm very tired and very hungry, I'm fine overall."

"You wouldn't be in this position if I hadn't failed you. I should have known someone was planning something like this. I should have protected you, protected our child." The pain evident in his voice made her grateful she couldn't see the hurt and fear etched on his normally implacable face.

"Contrary to what the Midgardians think, you aren't actually an omniscient god, Loki. I don't blame you for what someone else has wrought." She moved their joined hands to her belly and pressed his palm onto the bulge. "She's fine, kicking like the little warrior she is."

"Her mother's more of a warrior than I ever imagined," he said softly.

They stood in silence for several minutes. Occasionally, Loki would kiss her shoulder or neck, as if reassuring himself she was still there. Her thoughts swirled, trying to fully understand the situation. But despite the very real danger she found herself in, his presence was incredibly reassuring. Between the three of them they would find a solution to the problem, she was sure of it.

Eventually, he walked her back to the bed and propped her up into a seated position. "I'm off to prepare some food for you. You have four guards out front, but don't let anyone in until I return."

"Yes, husband." She smiled up at him, barely suppressing a laugh.

"And what is it that you find so amusing, little elf?"

"The picture of you tromping through the kitchen trying to cook and likely terrifying all the servants."

"One, I do not tromp. Two, I only go in disguise. I don't want anyone to know we've discovered the plot to try and poison you. I've sworn Eir and her women to secrecy. Nobody knows that a timid little Halfrida is preparing food for the queen."

The lengths he'd gone to protect her seemed a bit extreme, but weren't surprising. When Loki hatched a plan, he was single-minded in his pursuit of it. She knew better than to try and dissuade him. "You are exceedingly clever."

The blush that stained his cheeks was so uncharacteristic that she almost commented on it, but then she saw how uncomfortable praise made him. It hurt her to see this larger than life figure reduced to embarrassed silence at being called clever. Silently, she vowed to compliment her husband as often as he warranted it and that he'd one day get used to it.

"I don't feel clever right now. I've had four days to find those responsible for this treason and I've yet to identify a single conspirator. The only reason I felt able to feed you the broth is that I prepared it myself. I swear to you, Erna, that I will find who did this and make them wish death was good enough for them."

"Please, Loki, I saw enough death in my dreams. I'd settle for a meal right now."

His brow furrowed in a silent question, but he didn't give voice to it. "Of course. I'll be back as quick as I can." He kissed her softly and was gone before she had a chance to reply.