Note: In an effort to win her over, Loki follows Sigyn out into the woods and "happens" to meet her there, then teaches her how to use magic to start a fire. Afterwards they have a conversation which is mired in misunderstandings and clashing self-worth issues, and they part on very bad terms. Sigyn goes home, dejected and convinced the brief affair has ended. It does not take long for her bratty little sister, Unnr, to pick up on her state of weakness and go in for the kill.
Sigyn managed to endure supper without bursting into tears. Her mother remarked on her sullen state, but did not ask the cause, and Sigyn did not offer it. As soon as she had finished eating, she retired to her room, curled up on her bed, and began to weep bitterly.
"What's wrong with you?" Unnr asked, wandering in as if she were welcome there. Which she was not. "Did you get kicked out of the local nest of vipers for not being creepy enough?"
"Leave me alone, Unnr," Sigyn wiped her eyes and clutched her pillow. "And get out of my room."
Unnr giggled and sat on her bed. "No. This is much more entertaining. Oh," her eyes widened, "did you meet somebody out in the woods? Was it your prince?"
"I do not know what you are talking about." Sigyn squeezed her eyes shut, as if that could make Unnr disappear.
Unnr made herself comfortable and Sigyn could hear the crackling of paper. Her blood ran cold even before Unnr began to speak. "Here, let me refresh your memory." She cleared her throat and began to read aloud in a mockingly dramatic tone. "'My Lady Sigyn, I thought I knew all the magisters in this realm—'."
Sigyn sat straight up and snatched the letter out of Unnr's hand, tearing it in the process. "You spiteful wretch! How dare you!"
Unnr sneered. "If you ruin your betrothal to Theoric, especially by rutting his enemy, nobody will want you. Especially not the prince. Because you are awful and everybody at court would hate you. Which I am sure even the mad prince knows, which is why he met you out in the middle of the woods and not where anybody could actually see you together. And I would marry Prince Balder anyway. And the only chance you had to do a good thing for anybody would be a complete waste. And then Father would kill you." Unnr smirked in triumph.
Sigyn crumpled the letter in her fists, her rage seething as she glared at her sister. The paper began to smoke as magic born of anger started to seep out of her hands. Unnr's smirk faded and her eyes widened in fear. Sigyn felt a tremble of power in her chest.
"When did you learn that? You do not know magic." Unnr edged further away.
Sigyn's sadness welled up, because she did not know magic before that day. And after so enraging Prince Loki, he would not teach her any more, she was sure. And then she remembered Loki's offer to murder their father. And she began to imagine the look on Unnr's face if her untouchable hero patriarch, who always sheltered her from the consequences of her words and actions, and promised her everything she desired, was cold and dead. And how free Sigyn herself would feel if she could finally live outside the constant shadow of her father's rage and disdain.
Sigyn had turned down Loki's offer. Without even thinking, she had turned him down. And later, when he offered his love she had turned him down again and it was over. She would not hear from him again. Her one chance to stop being acted upon and start acting on her own wishes and she had balked and it was gone and it was so very funny because none of them would ever even know!
She started to laugh, softly at first but growing in volume and hysteria. The paper caught flame.
"You are burning your letter!" Unnr protested, standing up and backing toward the door.
"It does not matter," Sigyn laughed helplessly as the letter burned to ash. "You will not ever know how close you came." And then she blinked as she realized Loki probably would have killed Unnr, too, if she had asked. And she collapsed in fresh gales of helpless, despairing laughter.
Unnr left without another word.