A Trickster's Love

Chapter 15

A month before Maryn and Loki were to marry, the Allfather and Allmother threw a feast to celebrate the birth of their youngest son. Everyone was dressed in their finest emerald attire and gathered in the Great Hall to enjoy the sumptuous banquet spread out on long tables that ran the length of the huge room.

Loki, as the guest of honour, requested that Maryn stay at his side the whole of the night so that everyone would see her wearing his colours and doting on him making sure he had the best of everything. It was a matter of pride to him that those who thought of him as alien or strange would see that his betrothed was so openly affectionate to him.

Maryn had chosen to wear a one-shouldered gown of emerald green silk. It was draped and tucked to flatter her body, being tight to her lower torso before flowing into a draped skirt. Her dark hair was twisted into a loose bun at the nape of her neck with small curls framing her face. She wore diamond and emerald drop earrings and a diamond cuff with teardrop shaped emeralds hanging from the bottom over her upper hand. She also wore Loki's pendant tucked into the neckline of her gown and her engagement ring.

Loki was dressed in a relaxed version of his ceremonial armour, as were Thor and Odin, while Frigga was dressed in a beautiful silk gown of gold with green accents at the hem and cuffs. The decorations in the Great Hall were made in Loki's colours, and all his favourite foods were served, as well as the best wine and mead the palace had to offer.

Thor, Odin, and Frigga presented the dark prince with their gifts after the feasting was over and before the dancing had begun but Maryn leaned over and whispered softly that her gift would be given when they were alone if he would agree to walking to the gardens with the Yggdrasil fountain. At his nod, she smiled, pressed a soft kiss to his inviting lips, and left his side to dance with Volstagg.

Loki could barely wait to walk with Maryn to the gardens. The thought of what her gift might be intrigued him and despite knowing her thoughts on the matter, he couldn't help entertaining the secret hope that her gift to him would be her body.

Maryn, on the other hand, had chosen as a gift for her betrothed something that was as important and intimate, if not more so, than keeping her virginity until their wedding night. The small folded slip of parchment she had tucked into a secret pocket under a pleat of her skirt felt heavy despite its size and she worried it wouldn't measure up to the weapons, spell book, leather bound tome and other gifts he had already received.

Time seemed to drag for her. She was whisked away by Fandral for another turn around the dance floor and then was drawn into a political debate by Loki, Odin and two councillors. Because Loki was the guest of honour, he couldn't leave suddenly as they had been able to do before, so the couple had to wait until the celebration was winding down before they were able to get away.

When they were finally able to leave without causing offense to anyone, the couple were greatly relieved. Although they both enjoyed a feast as much as any other at the palace, they preferred to leave early before the revelry that occurred and would undoubtedly escalate after the Allfather, Allmother, and older Aesir left the Great Hall.

Once out of the hall, Loki couldn't help but pull Maryn into his arms in a shadowed corner of the terrace, his mouth slanting over hers hungrily as they stood hidden by shadows.

Maryn sighed and melted into his embrace, marvelling that he could make her feel so much with only a kiss. As Loki's hands began to wander, Maryn pulled back slightly, his cool, wine-sweetened breath mixing with her own as they stood in each other's arms calming their racing hearts, "We should go before Thor finds us and draws you into a drinking game."

Loki's grin was breath taking; he had already drunk at least four flagons of mead and three glasses of wine, which took away the calm, unruffled façade he always wore and made him act like an excited child; something Maryn hadn't seen from him before.