Not a single soul alive would describe Loki as congenial. Irascible, perhaps, or even misanthropic. But most definitely not amicable. Such an antisocial personality did not win him many friends as an adult, and earned him even fewer as a child.

Thor and Loki grew up alongside several other highborn children. Often watching them longingly on the sidelines was Signe, the daughter of a noble family that lived on the palace grounds. Though the little blonde had sisters of her own to play with, she was much more interested in the royal siblings and their mock fighting and tree climbing. She begged her father to let her join the older boys, but he refused to allow his daughter to partake in such shenanigans.

As was typical, Signe was in the gardens, under the watchful eye of her nursemaid, holding a mismatched bouquet of flowers in her chubby hand when she literally stumbled over Loki. The prince had magically concealed himself next to a rose bush during a game of hide and seek with Thor. When she ran into him, she broke Loki's concentration, rendering him visible once again. Making a face, Loki sourly scolded Signe, accustomed to easily frightening away other children with a mean scowl. Signe, however, was absolutely thrilled by his sorcery and remained completely impervious to his attempts to shoo her away. She chattered excitedly, asking questions and begging him to teach her until finally Loki grabbed her little hand and hauled her to him, casting a charm over them both before she gave him away.

Between Thor's general intellectual struggles and Loki's, well, cheating, the duller elder brother surrendered to the younger and announced him the hide and seek victor. Basking in triumph, Loki opened his mouth to slight Thor, when Signe interrupted him by grabbing and swinging his hand and dancing around. She sang an impromptu song about their victory, dragging him by the hand as she skipped and jumped. He was so dumbfounded by the effervescent, gleeful little thing and her joy that even the silver tongued prince was at a loss for words. And thus it began. Despite numerous efforts, no amount of trickery or wickedness hinder the girl's adoration of him.

It was no secret that Loki was a nightmare for servants to care for. Between his

unpredictable moods and endless tricks, the poor castle staff was always on high alert

for his mischievous tricks. It gave Loki great joy to send nursemaids running in

tears. He was completely beyond reproach. Not even his mother could make him stop terrorizing her staff.

Signe also happened to be a thorn in her nursemaid's sides. Though her three elder sisters were traditional and proper in all things courtly the noble girl was a little tyrant that insisted on doing as she pleased. She was a little spitfire even in preadolescence, and word spread throughout the castle of how burdensome she was to tame; often it was said that she was as difficult to control as the youngest prince.

The only situation in which the children behaved even remotely was when they were together. Signe had completely attached herself to the dark haired boy. Despite months of foul tactics and countless attempts at dissuading the girl, he couldn't shake her. Signe bubbled with laughter when he tried to scare her and she wrapped her little arms around him tightly when he sulked. Day by day the relentless delight Signe found in him wore away at his bitter walls until he finally realized that under no circumstances was she losing interest in him. He begrudgingly embraced the little wide-eyed sprite.

Runa, Signe's mother, and Frigga, had caught word of their children's friendship and, in turn, formed their own. Neither Loki nor Signe made friends easily, and though their relationship was unconventional, especially by court standards, Frigga and and Runa were completely unwilling to tear the two apart. Of course, the women's male counterparts grumbled and blustered, but between their stubborn wives and even more stubborn children, they relented and eventually accepted that their children made each other happy.

Watching Loki with Signe made Frigga's eyes well with joy. He was no longer so sullen and withdrawn because Signe simply wouldn't allow it. If he didn't humor her and engage in conversation, she took it upon herself to run commentary on whatever activities they were partaking in. Her unyielding adoration felt different than a mother's love. For the first time in his life he had an equal, an ally. A friend. Someone he could trust implicitly without the weight of and competition for the crown looming over him. Never did she think she'd see her youngest bloom, but with Signe's devotion, his hardened shell began to crack.

Happy-go-lucky, good natured Thor saw the changes their playmate inspired in his brother and he embraced Signe as a new friend. He knew his Loki was difficult to get along with, and he found it endearing that the girl was so taken with him. So, there formed a trio. Thor, Loki and Signe. As long as they remained in one another's company, they were completely manageable under the care of five of Frigga's most seasoned women. They ran and wrestled and played and swam and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed being children.

As they matured, there were instances that required the three to partake in different gender-appropriate activities. However, these separations were very short lived. For example, Signe was encumbered with the task of learning needlepoint. However, after several sessions she was relieved of the responsibility due to the fact that not a single servant could keep Loki from sneaking his way into the sitting room to be with her. If she was forced to do needlepoint, the two sulked and pouted together until exasperated instructors set them free. If Loki and Thor were sparring, Signe practiced alongside them with a stick as her sword and a stolen dinner plate as her shield until eventually she was given practice weapons of her own.

All three of them were indeed close to one another, but no one could argue the profound bond formed between Signe and Loki. Thor had other friends and was happy to share his brother with the girl. Loki, on the other hand, had only Signe and Thor, and Thor was rather fickle. Signe was anything but. His angst and rage did not scare her. Days in which he was melancholy didn't push her away. There was nothing he could do to force her away; she was loyal to a fault. For once in his life, he didn't live in fear of abandonment.

On occasion, Signe's devotion puzzled Loki, but Frigga discouraged him from questioning the younger girl.

"On rare occasion the Norns provide for us exactly what we need while asking absolutely nothing in return. This—She, is a gift, Loki."

One night after a long, hard day of play, the children were corralled and bathed in a frenzy of laughter and splashing. Each had their own tub of delightfully steamy, bubbly water and a large screen for privacy. Once they were dressed for sleeping, Signe bid the boys goodnight and walked with Frigga to the Queen's chambers. Frigga had given Signe a room of her own for nights such as this, when it was too late (and the poor girl was too tired) to return to her parents.

Frigga took Signe's hand as they walked side by side.

"My darling, you're not yet a parent, so you will not completely understand what I'm about to say. But one day, you'll have children of your own and you'll find yourself willing to do everything and anything in your power to make them happy, even if it means rearranging the Nine Realms with your bare hands." She paused and cleared her throat, struggling to stay composed. "You were too young to remember what Loki was like when you met him," she briefly paused the conversation. They had arrived at Signe's private room.

A servant came to relieve Frigga and put Signe to bed, but the queen smiled and shook her head, dismissing her staff for the night. Signe sleepily climbed under the covers.

Frigga hesitated, eyeing the chair next to the bed. Partaking in such casual intimacy as a monarch happened very rarely, even with her own children, let alone someone else's. Pushing aside decorum, she gracefully seated herself, smoothing her skirts as she organized her next thought. She began again.

"What you have done for my Loki—For our Loki, by being his friend, is beyond thanking, my sweet girl."

Signe offered her a confused, sleepy smile and rubbed her eyes.

Frigga gave her a wet smile and paused, dabbing at her eyes.

"Thank you, Signe."

"You're welcome Your Majesty," Signe mumbled, half asleep.

She affectionately stroked Signe's hair before quietly closing the door and readying herself for bed.

x

And so the three grew together happily, until Signe reached the brink of womanhood. She still had the innocence of a child, but Frigga caught glimpses of how Thor would wrestle with her, and her gut clenched in worry. Loki mostly remained as naïve as Signe, despite being older. He had begun to catch the eye of ladies around the palace, and sometimes he would even flirt, but never did he think of Signe in such a way. Sadly, each passing day Thor became more of a man, and Signe's proximity made her too vulnerable to the Queen's eldest son. When word spread throughout the castle that Thor had begun taking women into his bed, Frigga knew something must be done.

The Queen shared her concern with Runa. They embraced, both in tears, as the noblewoman admitted she shared Frigga's worries and feared that spending so much time with the princes may deem Signe unfit as a wife at court. She hated herself for even having the thought, but as Signe's mother she was obligated to consider her daughter's future. The women agreed there was no one at fault in the situation; they knew eventually that their children would likely outgrow such a friendship, but they both wept for their Loki and Signe.

The day Signe was sent away, Loki ceased talking. Not for the sake of pouting, and for once he wasn't seeking attention. Instead, he was simply too shocked to speak. At dinner that night he went through the motions in the banquet hall, but no one could get him to take even a small bite of food.

A portion of the evening meal was served on a small platter and given to a servant to deliver to Loki in his rooms, but Frigga intercepted it. She needed to see her son and knew he wouldn't agree to simply speak with her. He was far beyond the years of wanting to confide in his mother.

When she neared his chambers, there were no guards in sight. He had sent away every member of his staff. Steeling herself with a deep breath, Frigga knocked on his door. She wasn't surprised when there was no answer, so she knocked once more in warning before gently opening the door.

The scene inside almost caused her to drop the platter of food. Loki had attacked everything within reach. His sheets and curtains were shredded, bowls once containing fruit lay in pieces on the floor, the fruit itself crushed to a pulp. The posts were snapped off his bed, he had taken a knife to the cushion of each chair. He sat on his bed, staring into nothingness, his eyes red and swollen.

He was old enough to understand that he was no longer allowed to see Signe at the palace, and he was old enough to be torn apart by it, but he wasn't mature or experienced enough to comprehend why she was taken from him. He knew Thor looked at her oddly sometimes, and that his brother was more affectionate than usual, but a lot of boys around the palace paid attention to Signe. She had always been a beauty, even when she used to shriek and squeal and cling to him as a little child. He supposed he found her prettier now that she was less annoying, but what she looked like didn't change the fact that she was the one person in all of Asgard that he was closest to.

Frigga's heart broke in two. Swallowing hard, she placed the platter of food on the floor (since what remained of the tables lay in splinters). Loki could only look blankly at her, his empty, staring eyes filling with fresh tears. Fighting back her own, she went to her son and wrapped him in her arms as she did when he was tiny enough to fit in her lap. She wrapped him in her arms just like Signe did whenever he was upset. If front of his mother, Loki would normally put forth more effort to appear unaffected by the departure of a single noblewoman, but in his exhaustion he no longer had the capacity to hold back his sobs.

During the first few days without Signe, Frigga fought constantly against the thought of begging Runa to allow Signe to return. She knew Signe must be hurting too, and it seemed inhumane to let the pair experience their agony alone. But she couldn't, and deep down she knew it was best if Signe stayed away. Instead, all she could do was keep a constant eye on her youngest. He had had dark days in the past, but when she looked at him now, she feared for his own safety. His eyes were devoid of everything. Happiness and laughter, but also of gone were anger and spite, and that's what she feared the most. He was becoming an empty husk of the boy he became under Signe's attentions.

Odin offered him a few words of wisdom that went unheard by Loki in his pain. Secretly Odin was relieved to have the girl gone. She was nice enough, but she had tempted Thor and in time she would have tempted Loki, causing unnecessary drama between the brothers. Besides, it was inappropriate for a woman to behave so wildly.

Though unsure how, Loki survived losing Signe. The days that passed were no less bearable, but the numbness that sank deep into his bones allowed him to slowly regain functionality. Odin and Thor clapped him on the back, congratulating him for acting like a man, while Frigga watched silently, mourning the pieces of her son that left with Signe.