"Do you often wish that none of this had happened?"...

..."I tire of this game"

"Husband"...

..."Give it to me!"

"I'm burning!"...

..."You and none other"

Stop it.

The rushing sounds of water filled her ears. Nature and its surrounding life abruptly invaded her senses as she urged her thoughts back into the present.

Stop it. This will change nothing.

She looked up.

The constellations of The Realm Eternal spread out across the sky in a dazzling display of color and light, especially fantastic against a canvas of night sky. Like all of life's consistencies they could easily be taken for granted and ignored, but Sigyn never failed to find solace in the natural beauty of her home whenever she took the time to pause and lift her eyes. It afforded her the momentary comfort of becoming lost in memories of happier times or, at the very least, days when she didn't feel so alone. An outsider would dismiss it only as a cruel mockery of one's own sensibilities. She agreed, but that had never stopped anyone before.

Unfortunately, she could find no joy in it now. The recollection of every happy memory in a lifetime couldn't assuage her desire to be anywhere else but there. Now she could only call to mind nightmares past, broken promises, and bitter heartbreak. So much had changed in only a few short weeks, and a menacing darkness had descended over Asgard.

No one wanted to talk about it, but it was there, so doggedly persistent that Sigyn felt as though she were its source. It hounded her like a shadow that she could only see out of the corner of her eye, and her presence in any room only amplified the general feeling of unease. Wherever she strode, people would stop talking, stealing weighted glances when they thought she wasn't looking or covering their whispers behind jeweled fingers. It wasn't hate or fear; they pitied her. They always had, and now it made her blood boil.

Sigyn screwed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply. This kind of thinking wasn't productive with what she had set out to do.

The cool air served to clear her thoughts somewhat and she willed the muscles in her back to loosen as much as they could. Opening her eyes again and gazing out, she noted that the waters of the Gopul river were unusually calm for that time of night. The opposing bank was almost obscured by its distance, and the river boasted nearly twice as much in depth. Dim lights from a nearby fishing village blinked sporadically, though no living soul would be able to spot the Asgardian princess who shared their beach so far away, shrouded in shadow as she was.

She reached up to push the hood of her cloak away from her face, releasing ropes of dark braids. Watching the starlight as it danced along the water, she did her best to ignore the face she glimpsed amongst its ripples.

A voice broke the air, "Don't do this."

Sigyn tensed. Her head raised, but she didn't look behind. She knew already who had followed her and silently chided herself for her own lack of awareness. She could hear the rocks clacking beneath her pursuer's feet and then the footsteps abruptly soften as they carried over to the shoal.

"Please..."

"Leave, Idunn," Sign spoke with detectable vexation, "Get back to the palace before they miss you."

Idunn, unsurprisingly, ignored her older sister. Two thin arms slipped through Sigyn's own and wrapped about her waist, a youthful face pressing between her shoulder blades. All attempts to remain rigid and cold faltered as Sigyn found she could not stay irritated. Sighing heavily, the elder rested her head against the youngest and caressed the hands that clasped around her stomach,

"There is no other way..."

"There must be!" Idunn interrupted with a sob in her voice, tightening her embrace, "Speak with the AllFather again, make him listen to you! Or the Queen or...someone!" She released her hold and tugged on Sigyn's arm until she yielded, turning so they were face to face, "I've never known you to be called a fool, let alone completely mad. And I know because that is commonly what they say about me!"

At that Sigyn laughed. Idunn had long since established her reputation as Freya's wild child, and Sigyn could always count on her to lighten the mood, even if it was only for a moment. Her expression regressed into a wistful smile as she reached forward and fiddled with a lock of her sister's golden hair. She still wore it completely loose down her back with only the two parts pulled over each shoulder, just as she had ever since she was a child.

"I must do this, love. If I do nothing then I truly will go mad."

Idunn stared at her in poorly-concealed anxiety. Her eyes were shining, "I know why you came here and it won't work. Sigyn, it can't. Why do you think that Odin is the only one who seeks counsel from the vǫlur? Because he is the only one who can come back."

Sigyn shook her head, "He is the only one because he does not fear them."

"And you don't?"

"That does not matter," she replied, dropping her hand and stepping back.

Idunn exhaled a high-pitched squeak, straightening her slight shoulders in exasperation, "Maybe you are mad! Why can you not accept what has happened and there is nothing you can do? If you could hear the things I've heard-"

"I could care less about what the court has to say!" Sigyn snapped.

"They say," Idunn stubbornly continued, "That he has complete control over you! That you would walk through fire if he asked, no matter how many times he wrongs you," She crossed her arms and raised her chin with a challenging eye, "Look at what you're doing. You would prove them right?"

Sigyn frowned. She loved her dearly, but Idunn was still very young and far too willing to allow the opinions of the assembly sway her judgment. It was common opinion that everyone had a role to play in the court, be it the warrior, the lover, the fool, or whatever best suited the mechanics of the theater politic. Her own role as an object of pity (something they could compare to their own, happier lives) simply did not suit her anymore.

The princess looked up at the stars, thought for a moment, then calmly said, "Is that what you think, sister? That I am a mindless slave?"

"No! I just-" Idunn's amber-colored eyes searched the air, as though she might find the right words to say there, but after an instant she appeared to give up, "You are so stubborn sometimes! I think that you enjoy being miserable."

Sigyn struggled to conceal a smile. She reached up again and smoothed her sister's worried face, taking it in both of her hands and pressing a kiss against her brow. Idunn reached up to grip her wrists and sighed, conceding defeat.

Her voice was softer now, "What if Heimdall sees you?"

"He is with the AllFather," Sigyn assured her, "and they have more important things to observe than my comings and goings." She pulled away from Idunn and tucked a stray thread of her own dark hair behind one ear, flashing a sheepish grin, "And I've taken measures to ensure that he doesn't, regardless."

"Hmph," Idunn scowled, but added nothing further. Sigyn took advantage of the silence to grab her sister's hands, expression sobering and fixing her with a steady gaze.

"Go now, I don't want you to watch. Whatever happens..." The words suddenly stuck in her throat and she swallowed hard, "know how dearly I love you."

They both stood silently for a moment, listening to the voice of the river as it moved along the sand bank. Idunn refused to meet her sister's eyes.

"He wouldn't do the same for you," she said quietly.

The sentence held no ridicule or derision, merely stating a fact. Sigyn offered no reply, knowing none was needed. She took a haltingly deep breath to regain her composure and gave Idunn's hands one final squeeze before releasing.

"I will see you in the morning."

Idunn nodded, wiping at her eyes before forcibly turning herself around. Sigyn watched her leave, her own amber eyes following the golden beacon of hair as it diminished and ultimately vanished into the distance.

She could not be certain if that had been the truth or a lie. But finding herself now assuredly alone, the Asgardian princess knew she had delayed for long enough.

This is my choice.

Turning back to the river, she bent down and began to fill her robes with stones.