Freyja's hair was a torrent of luminous red gold that reached down to her thighs. Sif brushed it each day, morning and evening, to silky softness. Every four hours Freyja changed into a different lovely garment of which she had an endless assortment. Sif was at times asked of her opinion on matching and Sif was at times correct since Freyja always knew what she wanted. There were pomades and tints for the face and body to choose from, kohl for the eyes, intoxicating scents for the hair or the skin, earrings, pins, buckles, brooches, slippers, sandals, furs, torques, belts, gauzy or opaque veils and their purpose was to enhance the goddess's beauty.

In the mornings Freyja and her handmaiden visited the great houses of Asgard. Sif sat in her nebula blue morning frock and a matching veil, that hid the shortness of her hair, and listened to the ladies complain and gossip while Freyja promised assurance to their petty problems. Sif came from such a great house.

"My family will ever be grateful to you Lady," Syn told Freyja one of those mornings in Syn's airy bright hall. She took a pitying look at her daughter though Sif had made sure to keep her eyes fixed on the mosaic deer on the floor. "The veil is an improvement I think." She then set her eyes on the golden winged headdress pinned on Freyja's shiny cloud of hair and pursed her lips.

"Sif is a treasure and it is my honour to have her company," responded Freyja. "You may look upon your daughter and be proud." Sif felt her cheeks heat up.

"I have great hopes for her future, Lady."

"I know. I have been discussing with Idunn. She will have an apple for Sif by the Solstice," Freyja assured her.

Thankfully on the hour Freyja always made an excuse to depart and they were off to their next destination.

###

Idunn's apples were an obsession in Asgard. A slice was usually given to the slain or the infirm to heal them but to some select few Idunn presented an apple as an honour. A whole apple increased the Asgardians' lifespan to a hundred and fifty years. To consume the fruit steadily over a period of time meant immortality – and everyone wanted immortality. The gods had all been alive for millennia. Freyja the Lady had lived for two thousand and fifty six years, held the form she had had at twenty-six and would not require the sleep for another thousand.

The amphitheatre was unusually full, for the sake of a renowned dwarf magister and for the main show Idunn's lecture that was yet to start. Freyja stayed outside under the oaks where even more people were killing time, and Sif having spotted at the eastern quarter a familiar yellow bowed head climbed down the honey marble wing and took a seat next to Sigyn.

She spared a moment from her furious scribbling to grin warmly at Sif. "I didn't know you were interested in astronomy."

"I used to but Tyr teaches sword techniques in the training ring every morning and Thor hasn't missed a session yet." Sif swallowed around a knot in her throat. "Hadn't."

"Loki will be sore to have missed Austri. He is something of a prodigy. I am taking notes for when Loki returns," Sigyn said completely deadpan and the heaviness in Sif's chest was momentarily forgotten.

"Why do you think he will return?" she asked and for a moment it seemed that the blonde girl did not hear her.

"Asgard is his home," Sigyn answered like it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

The shame, the dishonour threatened to choke her. No true warrior accepted her comrades exiled for her faults. She almost believed that her mother's will had been the better path. It had always been playing at swordswomanship and the mastery of war because there had never been the possibility that she could join a real battle against the many enemies that threatened Asgard. Thor had indulged her childish wishes because he loved that way and because maybe just maybe she was good enough to be a challenge but in the end her sons – their sons – would become the warriors of legend and song and she would raise them good and brave.

It had only been playing at war. Thor had followed his brother because he knew the wrong done to him and because it was dishonourable to stay behind.

"Sif!" Sigyn's amber eyes became the centre of a sinking world but the hands holding Sif's face wiped the tears. "Listen to me."

"I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I am so-."

"Do not worry. They are the princes of the realm." Sigyn said soothingly. "Not even Loki will stay away forever. Odin Alfather will devise something to bring him back, and Thor as well. From where do you think Loki gets his deviousness?" She smiled.

"My mother would never accept it."

"Your mother is looking after your future. If Freyja has taken you under her wing then her incense will surely abate."

Sif sniffed and rolled her eyes. "I am to be given Idunn's apples apparently. You should have se-. Oh." It certainly made sense.

"There you go! It's a pure transaction: your immortality for his son. He is devious I tell you!"

Sif straightened and wiped her eyes. Around them the audience began to clap marking the end of Austri the astronomer's lecture.

"Somehow you are the healer in training and I am your mother's right hand," Sif said acidly and immediately regretted it.

Sigyn frowned. "That was a foul blow," she said.

"It was. I take it back. I am not myself, forgive me." She took Sigyn's right hand and breathed when the cool fingers squeezed back.

"The Alfather wishes to bring his son back," Sigyn said folding her notes. "And I wish he brought his son back. It is a fair bargain for everyone. Do not ruin it. Please."

Sigyn rose from the marble seat and climbed the last steps down, one of the few people leaving the amphitheatre. Every family had its own issues.

.

A/N: My Asgard has Nobel prize winners and GM immortals. Sorry for the infodump. Also, for the sake of convenient drama Sigyn is Freyja's daughter and Sif is Syn's (who is the goddess of defensive refusal).