Written for a prompt on LJ's Norsekink – "Sif's the perfect Asgardian woman. She's of noble birth, she's beautiful, she's a great warrior. EVERYONE, from Odin Allfather to the lowliest servant, expects her to marry Thor. But then she and Loki elope."
NB – I only know Thor from the movie, so apologies in advance for anything out of sync or incorrect with the comics/myths. Also, I'm not sure of the names for some things, so any constructive criticism is definitely wanted!
"Where is he?" Those were the first words Sif spoke as her feet touched the floor of the great Gateway between the realms. It took her less than a moment to find her footing after the sudden rush of speed of the Bifrost and she looked towards her half-brother in earnest. She did not have to speak the name of who she sought, he knew well enough there was only ever one man Sif wanted to see after a battle; that was if he did not already accompany them.
"He is in the great library," Heimdall responded, his voice as dark and grave as ever, his voice still full of disapproval and reprimand, even now.
Sif nodded her head in acknowledgement and appreciation and then marched out of the great Gateway, jumping upon her black stallion and racing back across the Rainbow Bridge, leaving her companions in the dust. Whether they ever cared when she rushed off, Sif did not know, nor did thoughts like that ever cross her mind. She was too intent upon seeing him, the God of Mischief and Magic, the Trickster and Silvertongue, Loki Odinson, her husband.
The thought of that word still sent a shiver of excitement down Sif's spine, even though it was often followed by the memories of cruel whispers and malicious gossip, twisted stories and blatant lies made up of how the Goddess of War, the great warrior maiden, had married the wrong prince. The malevolent whispers were not as great as they once were, but they still followed them around, haunting them and casting shadows on their otherwise, relatively happy marriage.
When their elopement had first become known, there was barely a soul in Asgard who was not shocked and surprised, who did not join in the murmurings and discontent at the news. Everyone had their own theories as to why it had happened, from a trick of the God of Mischief to an enchantment from the Dwarves, even a political manoeuvre of the Allfather's to help bring peace among the Frost Giants and the Asgardians. One thing all the theories had in common, though, was a form of magic or mischief, deception or political gain. None of them even considered the possibility that the elopement was brought about due to the feelings of those involved. They could not even begin to comprehend that the beautiful and powerful Lady Sif should choose to marry the second prince out of choice, out of love. They did not understand why she should choose him, not even a real Æsir, but a Frost Giant, when she could have married the first, the real, prince, the great and mighty Thor, who had driven the citizens into battle and victory countless times and who would one day become king of the whole of Asgard. Why would she turn down her chance to become Queen, to rule beside the wielder of Mjölnir, the most powerful of all weapons in all the nine realms?
The questions and stares had followed her wherever she went, the people unable to understand her choice and so filling the spaces with their own crazy and vicious speculations on the elopement. And why should they understand? Sif had often thought. There were times when even she could not comprehend the decision of her own heart. But then they did not know the Loki she knew, the Loki she had grown up with, had become friends and comrades with and who had eventually become her lover. They did not know the Loki who hid behind his silver laced words, his tricks and his mischief, who kept himself apart from the brash warriors that lined the banqueting halls across Asgard. They had never seen the value of the second prince, who preferred to wield magic and cunning rather than sword and lance, who saw the power, the worth, in sorcery and knowledge and not in brute force and battle. Even Sif, his wife, could never claim to fully understand the God of Mischief; she could only understand those parts of himself he chose to share with her, could only gleam what little she could when his walls were down and his thoughts and emotions showed through.
So whilst the whispers that surrounded their elopement did not surprise Sif, they angered and frustrated her. She had longed to shout out to all of Asgard the true value of her husband, to put straight and fight all the rumours and lies that abounded with nothing but the truth. But she knew it would do no good, for people never listened to truth unless their hearts and minds were open, and their hearts had always been closed to the second prince of Asgard, even before they knew the reality of his heritage and understood his involvement in the destruction of the Rainbow Bridge and the death of the Jötunn's king. Even when Odin and Frigga and Thor had welcomed back their son and brother with open arms after his time of repentance on Midgard, the hearts of the Æsir had remained firmly shut to their prodigal prince. And their hostility and resentment towards the God of Mischief only intensified when he stole and married the woman who was destined to marry their future king and become their sovereign Queen.
Besides, Loki had expressly forbidden her from telling everyone the truth and in this regard she knew she had to obey her husband. "They will not understand," and, "they will not care," he had pronounced and Sif had only conceded for she knew the truth that lay within these words of the trickster god. And so the whispers and the conspiracy theories had abounded, slowly abating, but still there, even now, when life was shown to continue on much as it ever had. Even when Thor, their favourite prince and the pride of all Asgard, had not cared, had even blessed the marriage that took away his expected bride. But the people did not care, they did not understand and they did not know the truth of how the marriage had come to pass. Perhaps if they had, they may not look upon the so called treachery of the second prince with quite so much malice and contempt. Perhaps if they knew how much sacrifice had been behind the trickster's actions, they would not condemn him so. But they did not know, and would never understand, and Sif had long ago learnt to live with the whispers and stares of the people of Asgard.
Hope you enjoyed reading it! More chapters should be on their way soon.
Oh and I'm fully aware that Sif/Loki are not "canon". However, in the film, there is nothing to say they aren't canon either (and there're certainly lots of moments that could be interpreted as past/present or future romance).