A/N: To celebrate Thor: The Dark World Rises! Which I'm going to see next week, so hush, no spoilers please :) Of course, like any sane fangirl (not that Thor fangirls are insane, but you know...) I love Loki. So this fanfic is more or less focusing on his relationship with Sigyn (which is different from the original comic books - in terms of twistedness and characterisation). It'll be a series of one-shots, as I cannot and shouldn't write a full length story. I don't know why but I do have a sort of Sansa-like Sigyn. This sort of developed before I watched a Loki/Sansa video on youtube, but it is beautifully done, so I really recommend watching
Chapter One
Expectations
Mother had given me a new dress; I stood on the stool for hours while the tailor and my maids fixed the fabric around me. The silver-green suited the red tones of my hair and my pale skin, I saw my sisters, Avedis and Gefion, looking enviably at me when I had a silver belt wrapped around my hips, the ivy leaves linking and twining around my small waist. Mother then let me down and sat me next to a mirror, picking up my brush and going through my hair.
"You are a woman grown now and your father expects you to make a good impression, this is a great opportunity for our family."
"And me." I smiled, my mother gave a tense smile. The brush tugged through a tight knot and I hissed slightly in pain.
"Loyalty to your family comes first, Sigyn, remember that. You were born of our blood, marriage is only a bond made by two different bloods. Until you have a child, it is merely a rope bound between two hands."
I nodded and recited the words my tutor taught me, "I will make you and father proud, and I will give Loki many sons."
My mother kissed the top of my head, "You already make me proud."
My father knocks impatiently on the door and calls through the heavy wood, "Come, what more is there to be done? Anyone would think you were slaughtering a bull."
Avedis skips to the door and opens it, she instantly puts her hand in father's and pulls him into the room.
"It isn't fair that Sigyn gets a new dress and I…"
"Hush Avedis." Father says and Avedis instantly falls quiet, we all know that tone of voice too well to object. Father looks at me as I get up and spread my arms a little so he can see the full effect of the gown, the graceful cut of fabric on my shoulders and neckline, the silver belt. He nods thoughtfully.
"His colours, good."
My mother goes to stand by his side and looks appraisingly at me.
"Her hips and breasts are rather small." My father says and I feel my face flush with colour.
"She is only thirteen, my love. They are not to be married for another two years."
"It will do, for now." My father mutters, casting a dark look at me as though I could control how and when I grew.
Father spoke again, "Tighten the belt?"
"It is already knotted rather tightly." My mother protested, but she moved over to me and tightened the clasp at the back, so the cold metal dug into the silk of my gown, before father could say anything else. He shrugged once she had finished.
"Better." Father took my mother's arm and I dutifully followed him with my sisters behind me.
"It is good to see you, old friend." Odin clasped father by his arm and my father smiled.
"And you, your grace."
"Enough of that, we are in private company here. Let us dine together as two families should. Not a King and his advisor."
Odin kissed my mother's cheek and then spied me, standing behind my parents. I was trying to obey the lesson of keeping my eyes lowered, but every now and then I glanced up curiously. I had tried to see my betrothed, but I had only caught glimpses of him and could not see over Odin King and Frigga. He smiled at me. The king was such a great man, though I felt a little nervous by the eye patch over his right eye and the sharpness of his other. His mouth seemed grim and I felt if my father had not been present he would not have smiled.
"So this is she."
My parents drew back a little and I gave a low curtsey to the King and Queen. The Queen smiled sweetly at me, though Odin seemed to be taking in my appearance as much as my father. He finally nodded, turned back and called down the steps.
"Thor, come greet your sister. Loki, come greet your betrothed."
I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and bit my lip nervously. I heard the scuffle of footsteps mounting up the pale sandstone steps, two sets of footfall climbing up the stairs, till they came into view. I raised my gaze and tried not to look back down to my feet. Everyone had heard of Thor, a great warrior amongst immortal men, and I'd heard my handmaidens whispering about how handsome and charming he was. Their talk growing more scandalous and making me blush. He was far taller than I was and broader across his shoulders, but despite his strength and build he smiled kindly at me, raising my hands to his lips.
"I am glad to have met you sister."
"And you, sir." I stammered, trying to ignore Gefion's giggle at my flustered face.
"Loki." Odin growled and I turned my attention to my betrothed.
Where Thor was light haired and had great strength within his arms and shoulders, eyes warm and sky blue; Loki was slighter and leaner built, his hair was dark and his grey eyes clear cut and intelligent. He tilted his head slightly to one side, but it did not feel as though he was judging my outward appearance as the King and father had done. He was judging my spirit. I didn't know what to make of him, I didn't feel frightened as I had when I'd spoken with his father, but I didn't feel entirely comfortable with him. I bobbed down in another curtsey.
"Sir, I am glad to have met you at last."
A sharp smile came to his lips, as though he knew a joke and I was not aware of it, "And I am glad to meet you, Lady Sigyn." He made no attempt to flatter me or kiss my hand. In fact, once the introductions were complete – my father and Odin speaking on the last war they had fought, my mother talking with the Queen and my sisters gazing up at Thor in wonder, while he chatted away with them – Loki's expression became one of boredom. He tapped his foot on the stone floor and, when I could not take my eyes away from him, he scowled at me.
"Was your journey fair my lord?" I asked, attempting conversation, though envying how my sisters were now talking merrily away with Thor.
Loki sighed impatiently and quickened his walking pace, I ran to keep up, trying to not step on my dress. I felt rather irritated, this was not how a betrothed was meant to treat his lady. From all the stories Gefion insisted we read, I had plenty of information on how a Lord was meant to treat his Lady. Considering how much I liked my new dress and how everyone said I looked well in it, he should really have commented on my appearance. I gritted my teeth and remembered my mother's advice, that some men were a little more nervous about these things than others. Loki showed no sign of nervousness, but perhaps he kept it well hidden. I would try complimenting him, I decided.
"I like your tunic, sir." I said.
I saw Loki roll his eyes, "Tell me, do you plan on matching our clothes from this moment onwards? Or will you still insist on making such awful attempts at conversation?"
I nearly tripped on the hem of my skirt, my cheeks now flaming red and saw his little smirk.
"No, sir." I muttered, lowering my head and glancing at him through my eyelashes.
"Loki." Odin called from the end of the table.
Loki looked up, his hand resting on the wineglass, his other spinning the knife on the table.
"Yes, father?"
"Talk to the damn girl."
I was almost certain this was proving to be the worse evening of my life, I did not even wish to think on my future wedding day. Loki's jaw clenched and he swallowed the rest of his wine.
"Yes, father." he growled and beckoned the serving girl over to pour more wine in his cup. Frigga gave a minute shake of her head at him, but he seemed to pay no attention to them. I pick at my plate of food, not wanting to look at him. I'm scared, it is as though I am screaming inside, battling with my mind. I feel so scared of how I feel. I like looking at him, I like the way his cheek is pale and smooth. I keep feeling tempted to reach out and touch it, but I remind myself that is folly.
"So, what do you like doing, Sigyn?" he is acting out of politeness, but Loki does not even bother to hide his tone of scorn.
"Reading, sewing, I sometimes like to paint as well…" I am not even at the end of my list, before he gives an irritable sigh and drinks heavily from his glass.
"I like horse riding too, I have a beautiful horse called Sindri. Perhaps, you like to ride and we could go riding together?" I suggest and for once Loki smiles, though there is still a sense of a hidden jest at my expense.
"Yes, we should ride together."
"What do you like doing, sir?"
"A good many things that would not interest you."
"But I am interested," I exclaim, "I will be your wife someday and it is a wife's duty to take interest in all her husband has done and to support him with his endeavours."
Loki smirks, "On Wifely Duties and Her Hearthstone. Yes, I read that book and…well, I say read, I got to the third page and put it down out of fear of losing all good sense in my mind. Do you actually believe such rubbish?"
I sat dumbstruck for a moment, while Loki poured more wine into my own goblet, even though I had barely drunk any at all.
"Don't you want a wife who does her duty to you and is loyal?" I ask.
Loki drummed his fingers on the table, "Ah little Sigyn, that is part of the problem. You see, I don't believe I want a wife at all."
"So do you think he is an Other?" Avedis whispered eagerly from our bed, I was still brushing my hair, my face reflected back to me in all my confusion.
"What's an Other?" I asked.
"He likes men." Avedis said as though this was obvious.
"No." I said staunchly. I considered it for a moment, but Loki did not feel as though he would prefer male company to female…in truth it felt as though he would prefer nobody's company, though he desired to be seen as great as his brother.
"Well let's not talk about Loki, he's boring and much less handsome than Thor." she wiggled happily down into the bed, stretching her arms above her head, "I wish I was marrying Thor."
"Loki's handsome." I say. He had slowly began to talk a little more with me as the evening progressed, especially as I had decided not to bring up On Wifely Duties again, though I still did not believe we had much in common. He agreed to a ride tomorrow though. I liked his eyes, when we spoke of other books they had shone brightly.
"No he's not."
"Yes he is." I said, "What do you know about it? You're only ten."
"I know Loki isn't handsome, he's not brave or strong like Thor."
"Well that doesn't matter to me." I say smugly, "Besides, if anything should happen to Thor, Loki would be next in line to the throne…and I…I would be his queen."
Avedis lets out a little gasp, "You can't say something like that."
"Like what?"
"Wishing ill fate on Odin and Thor."
I try to roll my eyes like Loki, but he seems to have it well practiced and I do not, "I am not ill wishing them. I'm just saying."
"Don't you think they should have a guard with them?" my mother says, looking towards my father as Loki pulls on his gloves.
"We are only going for a short ride, my lady." Loki says.
"They are betrothed, Loki knows the consequences should he try anything against your daughter." Odin says, taking my mother's hand comfortingly in his own.
Loki bears sharp, white teeth, "Of course, my lord. I'll bring her back in one piece."
I keep my attention focused on Sindri's bridle and reins, checking the girth and the stirrups before I mount. He does not offer to help me up and makes no attempt to wait for me, squeezing his legs against the bay horse's side and going into a light trot towards the gateway. I quickly bid goodbye to my parents and the King and Queen, before riding after him.