What her husband lacked in culinary prowess, he made up for in vigilance. For days she saw nobody but him and the healers, Loki spreading the story that she had a contagious stomach ailment to keep everyone away and to explain her absence. After four days, he'd already gone through his limited recipe repertoire several times, and they were both close to breaking. He grew angrier and angrier with himself for not finding the poisoner and she was starting to run out of nice things to say about finding toast on her plate- again.
When he strode into the room with a broad grin on his face and his hands behind his back, she should have known there would be trouble.
"I have a solution to our immediate problem," he announced with a grin.
"As do I." She was propped up in bed, trying and failing to concentrate on her cross-stitch. Her pronouncement stopped him from continuing with his explanation, but only momentarily.
"Excellent. Once you've been introduced to my idea, we'll discuss yours."
"Introduced?"
"Yes!" When he presented what he'd been concealing, she let out a squeal of delight.
"I don't know what problem this solves, but I'm happy to go along with it."
Smiling with satisfaction, he deposited the small furry mass in her outstretched hands. "This is your new companion."
The little thing uncurled itself and leveled its feline glare at them for disturbing its slumber. For such a tiny kitten, it managed to look monumentally affronted at being woken up, until Erna began to stroke the patch of fur between its ears. She was rewarded with a purr of pleasure almost immediately. While still very young, it wasn't the newborn she'd first taken it for, but it did seem small for its age. It was a beautiful steel gray color, with large luminous amber eyes very like her own. She transferred the now content kitten to her ample stomach and the little thing promptly curled up and went back to sleep.
When she looked back up at her husband, he looked excessively pleased with himself. "Thank you, Loki. I've been so bored cooped up in our rooms, this will be a welcome distraction." She'd never been allowed to have pets as a child, her father always lamenting how destructive they were every time she asked. Now she felt a surge of pleasure at yet another reminder that she was no longer under his control.
"It's more than a distraction."
"How so?"
"This," he motioned to the gray ball nestled on her abdomen, "is your new food taster."
This time he looked so satisfied with himself that she wanted to shake the look off of his thin face. Instead, she decided to do so verbally with a vehement reply. "It most certainly is not!" At this burst of noise, the kitten toppled off its perch and landed with a soft thunk beside Erna. It looked at both of them in turn before attempting to return to its nap.
"Would you prefer a puppy?"
"You think making a defenseless animal check my food for poison is a good idea?" The horror she felt at this suggestion was more than apparent.
"Originally, yes. But I'm rethinking that based on your reaction." He took a tentative step towards her. "I'll just take the cat back, shall I?"
"You will do no such thing! I will keep the kitten, but I refuse to put it or anyone else in harm's way." She absently began stroking the kitten again, before glaring back up at her husband. When she saw his crestfallen expression, her anger abated some. "Loki," she began in as conciliatory a tone as she could muster, "it's very sweet that you want to protect me, but this isn't the way. I agree that our current situation is less than satisfactory, but I won't sacrifice anyone else's wellbeing for my own, animal or otherwise."
"I don't know what else to do! You can't stay healthy on boiled eggs and toast alone!" He ran a hand through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh.
"That's where my idea comes in."
"Your idea?"
"Yes, before you distracted me with this adorable little puff of fur, I wanted to discuss it with you."
"At least you find my gift suitable in one way," he grumbled.
"I may have a temporary solution, but I need you to ensure a message is delivered first." She took an envelope from the nightstand and handed it to him.
"Heimdall? What plan of yours requires a message to Heimdall?"
"One that I beg you to let me fully explain when the time is right. If you dispatch a messenger right away, I should be able to explain everything soon."
"And what's to stop me from reading this note right now?" By his tone, she could tell he was actually considering it.
"Trust. If you trust me, you'll give me until tonight."
He held her gaze for several moments, eyes searching hers in obvious confusion. She saw the struggle on his face and silently waited for him to decide. When he nodded slowly, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Fine. Tonight." He'd agreed, but didn't seem at all happy about it. Without further word, he stalked from their room, letter in hand.
-XXX-
Late in the afternoon, she sent a short note to Loki.
Loki,
Everything should be ready to explain at seven this evening. I'll be waiting for you in our chambers. I'm sorry to be so cryptic, but I truly feel that it's necessary. I hope you know how grateful I am to have you.
Your wife
He seemed contrite when he poked his head around their bedroom door early that evening. "Am I meant to stay out until the appointed hour?"
"Loki, I didn't banish you!"
"I'm sorry for my rude exit earlier. I wasn't sure if you were cross with me." He entered the room and took a chair beside the bed, happy to see the kitten was still with her. "Have you named her?"
"Syn," she replied with a smile.
"After the famous guardian?"
"I thought it appropriate. Though I may not have condoned your original plan, you intended her to protect me."
He nudged the furry lump and snorted derisively. "Funny, she doesn't look to be a very keen guard."
The kitten yowled at the intrusion and bared her teeth at Loki. "She's tiny, but I think she'll be a fine protector. Thank you, husband."
"Will you speak to me of this plan of yours?"
"Not yet, but I have other matters to discuss with you first."
His expression was guarded, likely not happy he was being denied information yet again. "By all means, little elf. Let's talk about something other than the treasonous plot to murder you."
She didn't rise to the bait, knowing his frustration was borne out of helplessness at their current situation. "It's related to that. I want to tell you something and I want you to… I don't want you to discount what I have to say off hand. Can you try?"
"Anything for my maddeningly cryptic wife."
"I'll just thank you and move on, shall I?" He nodded, still getting an eye roll in where she could see it, but stayed silent. "I think the baby was trying to protect me from the poison."
"Erna, I know you had some vivid dreams, but-"
She cut him off before he could get any further. "You said you'd try! I haven't dreamed this, Loki."
"I apologize. Please continue." She could see it was a strain for him to remain this conciliatory, so she plowed ahead while he still deigned to humor her.
"She was making me ill. Of this I'm completely certain. I thought it was just a strong feeling, but now I believe it to be more. Most women experience cravings while they're with child, many for foods they wouldn't otherwise eat. The child has a strange effect on the mother's body. But instead of a craving it's the opposite. She wants the offending item out of me as quickly as possible. She gives me no trouble when you've prepared my food, because it's safe. I think if I were to eat something tainted I would be ill, just as I was before."
"But it doesn't explain why you eventually succumbed to the poison."
"But it does! I fought her, for lack of a better way to put it. I got that tea and it took a tremendous effort of will, but I was able to keep it down. If she would have had her way, I would have vomited it up just like the rest of the food."
"That would mean someone has consistently been slipping something into your food. For days before you fell ill."
"I believe so, yes."
"And you truly think our daughter… that she… protected you in this way."
She wrapped her arms over her stomach, as if hugging the child growing there. "I do, Loki. I'm confident. It's the same kind of feeling that she's a girl. I just know."
"It doesn't make any sense. I've never heard of anything like this."
"I could prove it to you."
"Absolutely not," he boomed, startling her with the vehemence in his voice. He stood so quickly his chair clattered to the ground. "I can see where you're going and we are not going to test the theory." She noted how he clenched and unclenched his hands, knuckles white with the strain.
"Then I need you to trust me on this. I've never been more certain of anything." Reaching out and taking one of his hands, she waited until his eyes again met hers. "Loki, I know she likes it when you speak to her when you think I'm asleep. I know she detests olives, poison or no, and I know which lullabies are her favorite. I can feel it. There have to be things in this world that you know to be the absolute truth that you couldn't prove to others if asked."
He scanned her amber eyes, looking for something that made sense, but all he saw was her certainty. Nothing could prove this to him, well, nothing he was willing to try at any rate. It simply wasn't worth the risk to Erna to prove her theory right or wrong.
"Please, Loki," she asked in a small voice.
"All right. I believe you." She sagged in relief, laying back against the cushions. "But how does that help us with our problem? Unless she can point to your would-be murderer, it doesn't change anything."
"We can talk more once our visitors arrive."
"Visitors? Is this part of your grand plan?"
"It is. And I know it's killing you to wait until I'm ready to talk about it. I appreciate the consideration you're giving me."
"For some reason I find myself willing to be more patient with you than with anyone in all the nine realms."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Would you walk me out to the balcony while we wait? I'd like to stretch my legs."
She heard him mutter under his breath about it being all he was good for, but he helped her to her feet without further comment. Once upright, she waggled a finger at him, beckoning him to lean down. "What is it, little elf?"
Once he was close enough, she gave him a deep, slow kiss before explaining. "My balance is a bit precarious these days. I wanted to kiss you without running the risk of endangering my equilibrium. Now if you'd be so kind, escort me to the balcony."
"As the queen demands."