It was over. It had taken him several hours of raiding his potion stores, scribbling calculations, and scouring his private library for a specific tome, but he'd done as she had asked. Reynard was banished to a remote waste in Jotunheim, never to return again. Loki assured her that even if he was sitting on top of one of the hidden rifts that led to one of the other realms, he'd be unable to use it.
The court, many of whom had never actually seen the king's magic first hand, watched in shocked silence as he gathered his power and worked the spells around the condemned. The tricky part, she'd learn later, was not the banishment itself, for it would be quick work simply to transport him to Jotunheim. No, the ancillary spells she'd requested to keep him safe from harm and yet able to feel the pain of every harsh lesson the frost giants' realm could offer. Loki had be precise when casting to ensure he got it right. These kinds of spells weren't in anyone's standard repertoire and he'd told her how delicate it could be to create something like that from scratch.
There was utter silence as he worked, muttering almost inaudibly to himself as he waked a slow circuit around the prisoner. And while he didn't beg for mercy, much of her father's bluster had evaporated in the light of his sentence. She felt nothing but hatred looking at him.
When it was done, Loki took her arm and headed to their chambers, grateful nobody had the nerve to follow. Once they'd emerged into the empty corridor, she noticed the dragging steps and how much weight he was putting on her. With great difficulty, they managed to get him back to their bedroom, Loki collapsing on the bed as soon as it was within reach.
"You're exhausted," she observed with horror, guilt blooming in her chest. He'd gone through all this for her regardless of what damage it meant for himself. For the first time she began to regret her decision, but not for her father's sake.
"I'm simply depleted, little one. Nothing a bit of sleep won't mend." He reached over and took the hand hanging limply at her side. "I didn't do anything beyond my abilities, Erna. No need to look like I'm on my death bed."
"But you're so pale and—"
"I wouldn't have done this if it wasn't within my power. If it would have been necessary I would have enlisted Heimdall's aid if I thought I needed it. Don't berate yourself. I did this for all of us." He tugged her forward so he could pull her hand to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her palm. "Trust me, I wouldn't have done anything to endanger getting to see our daughter safely into the world."
She nodded and evaluated Loki's position. Weak as a kitten, he'd only made it halfway onto the bed, his long legs now hanging over the side. "Promise you'll be back to tromping around the castle in no time?"
"I promise, although I do not tromp." About all he had the energy to do was scowl, but even that was half-hearted. He was more than relieved to have this over with.
She bent to remove his boots, as she knew he'd balk at having one of the maids help him undress. He didn't keep a valet to help him, because between his magic and now Erna, one wasn't really necessary. Now she could do with a strong pair of hands, but more than that she wanted to be alone, so it was left to her. "You do tromp, but don't worry, I love it." For a moment she froze, trying to tug the stubborn leather away from his foot. It was stupid of her to blurt something out like that, but she was thankful he couldn't see her face.
It was only the work of a few more moments to get him free of the boots and lift his legs into bed with the rest of him. When she looked up, panting a bit from the exertion, the wide grin on his face surprised her. "And what is that for?"
"A man can't be happy his wife's life is no longer under constant threat?" He managed to look as innocent as possible, which for Loki wasn't saying much.
"A man can, but you are no ordinary man, sire."
"I am in one regard." He actually waggled his eyebrows at her. "Care to see where?"
"You are barely able to move anything right now, Loki!"
"For you, my queen, I'm sure I could manage to find an untapped reserve of energy. Particularly when I remember how impressive you looked today."
"What you will manage, my dear, delirious husband, is to help me divest you of the rest of this clothing so I can get you situated before I call for dinner. Then you will manage to tell our daughter the story of her father's brave deeds today before be both succumb to some much-needed sleep."
"I let you sentence one criminal and the power goes straight to your head."
"The magic has clearly scrambled your wits if you think that was humorous." But despite her harsh words, she bent to kiss him rather more vigorously than he'd expected. It was true that not all of him was dead tired. When they broke apart, her tone was much gentler. "The sooner I can have the food brought in, the sooner I can be rid of my own clothes and join you in bed."
They followed her admittedly sensible plan and after their meal, settled into their regular sleeping positions. His playful manner was gone, replaced with curious concern. "Are you satisfied at the outcome, little one?"
"Satisfied is the wrong word, but I think we handled it in the best way possible, yes."
"It is a great relief to know it's over. I had no idea just how worrisome it all actually was until it was finished."
The food had brought some color back to his pallid face, but he was still weaker than she was comfortable with. But however much she hated it, he knew his own limits. "I wish I had magic to heal you instantly," she mused aloud.
"And I wish I was powerful enough to restore those he took from you."
Ever since Reynard's revelation she'd been mulling over what to do with the new information he'd given her. And although she'd all but solidified her plan, she found herself actually needing to discuss it with Loki. Not out of any desire for approval, but because she really did see him as a partner. He'd support her no matter what, but wouldn't shy away from voicing his true opinions either.
"I want to try and find my mother."
He carefully considered her words before replying in mild voice. "You may not like what you find, little one."
"I know that there's… that she might be dead or terrible or something worse that I can't even fathom, but I feel like I need to do this. What if I have other half brothers and sisters out there? What if she's trapped in a bad situation that I can get her out of?"
"I just don't want you to think you owe her anything just because she's your mother. If you find her and it turns out… poorly, then there's nothing wrong with moving on, Erna. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I just want us to be realistic about what could happen."
"I know," she said softly.
"Can you trust what he told you about her?" He was loath to believe anything spewed by such an abhorrent creature, but was reluctant to ask her outright if the man lied to her. He could tell how hopeful she was to find the woman and would do anything not to see that hope dashed.
"I've thought about that a lot. I don't think he lied. He was trying to deal out as much pain as possible before finally killing me. He truly thought he'd won. There was no reason to lie. He was utterly guileless at that point."
"If this is what you want, we'll send messengers across the realms to see if she can be found. Tomorrow we'll sit down and make a list of everything you know about her, any detail that might help the search."
"Thank you, Loki. Your support means the world to me."
"I'll help however I can. But you have a tremendous heart, bigger than most people realize and I don't want it hurt."
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips as craned her neck to look up at him. "I could say the same about you, you know."
"I am a power-hungry reprobate only out for my own political gains, didn't you know that?"
"Horseshit. I never would have married such a man. And I am an excellent judge of character."
"You alway seem to see the best in me. How is that so?"
I love you, you idiot, she thought, wishing she didn't have to guard her words around him of all people. Instead she replied, "Because you let me get to know who you truly are."
"Honestly my wisest choice as king."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. The dose of reality he'd given her, while dispelling some of the outlandish scenarios she'd be unconsciously constructing, also helped her understand that whatever the outcome of the search, she could still act in the way that was best for her. Well, best for their family really. She would take whatever came, good or bad, but at least she'd know.
Her thoughts came back Sigun and Eryk. "I have to figure out how to explain this to the children. How to tell them about their mother."
"That," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before continuing, "is best left for tomorrow. You deserve an untroubled rest now. You've been so strong and brave, little one. I don't know how you've done it to tell the truth of it."
"How I've done it? I was useless and bedridden through most of it. You carried a very large burden throughout all this, Loki."
"You haven't been, nor will you ever be a burden, Erna. I don't like that kind of talk from you."
She didn't want to argue, not when all finally seemed calm. Instead she told him what had happened during the questioning. "While my father was being particularly vicious today, our daughter started summoning the energy to attack him again."
"She did?" He raised his head in astonishment, frustrated when the strain made him have to lay it back almost immediately. "What made her stop?"
"I did. I told her it wasn't necessary and that I was fine to handle things myself. It stopped immediately."
"Tiny one," he now spoke directly to her stomach, "all is well now. Just rest and concentrate on getting ready to join us. Your mother and I will be fine in the meantime."
"Have I mentioned how much she loves hearing you speak to her?"
"And I don't tire of hearing it, so don't stop on my account." With that he began the story she'd requested earlier. She fell asleep running her fingers through his hair as he weaved the tale for their daughter, more content than she thought was possible.