A Trickster's Love

Chapter 28

Maryn sighed softly to herself and slumped back into her chair. She had been sitting at Loki's side throughout the mind-numbingly boring diplomatic dinner Odin was holding for other regents in their alliance.

She had been happy to see the Dwarf queen once more but would have left the feast if she could.

All the stuffiest delegates seemed to be seated around her and her husband. When she glanced around once more, her hand reaching up to adjust the thin, gold, serpent-shaped arm band around her upper arm, as the men discussed certain worlds' differing civil liberties, she saw that Thor was sitting listening to another conversation, his head dipping every once in a while as he fought off sleep. Smiling to herself, she smoothed imaginary wrinkles from the forest green gown she was wearing, playing into the ideas most of the envoys and kings seated near her had of a woman's place, while she listened intently to every word spoken so that she and Loki could discuss them later. She had ordered the gown made especially for this night. It was a delicate, one-shouldered affair made of forest green silk overlaid by a darker green chiffon. Silver, scale-like beads covered the strap and bust to the empire waistline.

Hearing one of the delegates speaking about the need for some sort of a registration for those who could travel between worlds, Maryn spoke up, "Would those registrations apply to your own people, or only to those that enter your world?"

The man turned to her and she could see the derision in his bright blue eyes. "It is nothing you need concern yourself with, my lady," he spoke with a sickly-sweet smile on his face.

Maryn felt a spark of irritation flare through her and knew some of it was coming from the Dark Prince seated to her left. "Am I not an occupant of this world, sir?" she asked her tone as saccharine as his. He started to stutter a reply realising she was aware enough to be insulted, but she cut him off looking at the other envoys around her. "If a registration is to be set in place then it needs to be all-encompassing. Anyone who can travel between worlds must be on the list, whether they belong to the world," she looked to the delegate that was turning purple with embarrassment and annoyance, "Or not. Do you not agree, councillor?"

He stared at her for a moment in shock before sputtering out an agreement. Nodding with an innocent smile, Maryn leaned back in her chair once more. Feeling eyes on her she turned to see Loki watching her and blushed a little at the heat in his gaze. She had noticed that he had become both more protective and a little distracted in the weeks since their talk on the night of her birthday feast. He had not shared his true thoughts on their situation but she intuitively knew he was struggling to come to terms with perhaps never becoming a father.

A nudge to her hand brought her out of her thoughts and caused her to look down to see Fenrir staring up at her with his grey-green gaze, begging for a treat or a morsel from her plate. Patting his head affectionately, she marvelled at how large he had grown in such a short time. His paws were still too big for his body and his legs a little too long, however, his head reached nearly to her hip already, and she knew the adolescent wolf was still going to grow for quite a while.

Frigga had expressed concern that he was too wild and intimidating an animal to keep inside and that some of the women at court were scared of him. Loki had scoffed and told her that the beast stayed because he loved Maryn and protected her. When Thor had agreed that the animal be allowed to stay, the Allmother had given her consent to leave Fenrir where he was. Although, Maryn had her suspicions that Loki had had a word with his mother on the matter, Frigga was not as easily swayed by her older son as she was by her younger.

Taking a small sliver of meat from her plate, she slipped it to her faithful companion and smiled as he nipped it delicately from her hand, swallowed it, and then nudged her fingers for more. She glanced around covertly to make sure she wasn't noticed by any of the straitlaced men around her before she took another piece of meat from her plate and fed it to the wolf.