"My excitement grows with every passing second as our wedding approaches, my Pet, does yours?"

"I cannot believe there is only a week left before it," she said with a wide smile, trying her best feign enthusiasm "I honestly couldn't be more anxious about it…..In a good way!"

She quickly lied and shook her head at herself as Theoric peered over her balcony ledge at the beautiful garden below where the ceremony would take place. By all accounts she should be honored to marry a man of Theoric's stature in Asgard, and he was handsome and nice enough, but Sigyn's heart was simply not in it. She felt bored to tears in his presence, perhaps because of his annoying habit of asking her questions and not bothering to listen to her answers, and although he tried his best to amuse her she found him dull, average, much like all the other warriors of Asgard. She could read every thought in his mind and feeling in his heart, and so she knew his admiration for her to be sincere, but he lacked passion and a life without passion was one she found hard to resign herself to.

"Sigyn, I know we are betrothed, and there is often little of genuine affection in those types of matches," he said, holding her hand and causing her to question whether he had just read her mind "but believe me, I do not take our marriage lightly, I recognize that you are a Goddess, and therefore above me, but I promise that I shall cherish you forever, you will want for nothing."

She nodded politely and caught a glimpse of a green wasp crawling towards them on the balcony ledge as Theoric stooped to kiss her hand. She bit her bottom lip and grinned broadly at it, just as Theoric stood up straight and blocked it from her view

"I'm glad you are amused by my boldness and not offended by it."

He embraced her, knocking a little of the wind out of her lungs with the suddenness and force of the gesture. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around him and patted his back.

"Not at all Theoric, I find you to be most proper in all your dealings with me."

"Well, I must leave you now my Pet, for your father and I have things to speak of, but I could not resist the urge to steal a moment with you while I was here."

"Oh, of course, you should go, lest we run the risk of being seen as improper."

"Certainly, Pet. Until next time," she was reluctant to allow him to kiss her, but his intentions to do so were clear. She closed her eyes tightly and pursed her lips in unenthusiastic anticipation "OWWW!"

Sigyn opened her eyes slowly to see Theoric shaking his hand vigorously and moving around, trying desperately to avoid the wasp's stinger. Her eyes narrowed on the insect and she quickly caught it, cupping it between her two hands and holding it there.

"Are you badly hurt Theoric?"

She asked, truly concerned for his well being, knowing what the wasp was capable of.

"No, more annoyed than anything else." He looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face "Does it not sting you?"

"Oh…um" she searched her mind for a believable alternative to the truth "Yes, but, I've cast a spell to make my hands numb to it."

"Impressive, however let the pest go and I shall smash it."

"No!" she protested in a protective tone, then quickly came to her senses " Tis bad luck to harm wasps. I shall release him once you leave."

"Him?"

"Yes, it is male, I am certain of it."

"What a strange one you are my Pet," he remarked, laughing jovially, "but if you insist, I shall leave you and your pesky friend to it."

He bowed and walked from the balcony, through her enormous bedroom with its marble columns and incredibly high ceilings, into the halls of Iwaldi's palace. Sigyn sighed a sigh of relief and released the little green bug, which flew back to the balcony ledge and transformed into the tall, slender, pale frame of the younger prince of Asgard. Loki looked all together pleased with himself as Sigyn collapsed into a fit of laughter on the bench in front of him. He loved her smile and the sound of her laugh, the way her raven hair fell into her face and tossed back as she moved, and the way her smile made her lids squint around her magnetic brown eyes. She looked like a child when she smiled, at least her face did. He was determined not to notice the way her chest heaved in and out as she laid back on the bench to catch her breath, or to notice the way her long flowing gown clung to her body, or to allow his eyes to follow her hands as she smoothed the dress material that had slid up from her stomach back down to her thighs. The effort it took not to notice these things required such concentration from him that he didn't breathe normally again until she sat up and looked at him. Her face was happy as she spoke.

"You ought not to have stung him Loki," she teased "He is my betrothed; he has every right to kiss me."

"On Asgard he has but the rights that I will allow him," he said matter of factly "and to spoil my Sigyn before her wedding day is not something I will abide."

She grinned at him and patted the bench next to her, turning to face him as he sat and setting her legs to straddle the long marble bench so they could see each other face to face.

"And would a kiss truly spoil your Sigyn, my Loki?"

"If I had to watch it."

"But you shall, for you shall be at my wedding and I will surely kiss Theoric there."

"You cannot ask that of me Sigyn."

"I will ask it, I will demand it! You must be there," she suddenly felt very much like a child on the verge of throwing a tantrum, and tried to regain something of her composure "I can't do it without you there, I won't."

"All the more reason for me not to go."

"Loki! You will come, I will hear no more of this nonsense. You are my oldest and dearest friend and you must be there."

"Must? Princes and must do not often mix."

"Save your riddles and doubletalk for those who cannot read your heart and mind."

"You promised," he started, looking genuinely hurt " that you would not use that power on me."

"I said I would try not to. And I don't because I do not need to, I simply know you better than everyone else….What troubles you about my approaching nuptials?"

"What troubles me about your approaching nuptials?" he scoffed as a wicked grin crossed his face "In a word the groom! You are to marry an oaf, a typical Asgardian alpha male with no grace or wit to match that which you possess. You are a rare jewel Sigyn, a true Goddess of the nine realms, and he is unworthy to say the least."

"Oh Loki," she said, beginning to laugh again and clapping her hands "This is pure flattery! You're Jealous!"

"Of course I'm not, don't be absurd! I could have any woman in any of the nine realms," he proclaimed, trying not to meet her amused and accusatory gaze, suddenly very interested in the marble of the bench they sat on "But you…you could make a fine Queen of Asgard someday."

"You know, your right…perhaps I should be marrying Thor."

His head shot up and relief flooded him to realize she was teasing him again. He chuckled and gently pinched her thigh.

"You seem far more eager to marry him in my presence than you did in his."

She could tell he was desperate to steer the conversation away from Thor.

"Eager is not the right word, this is my father's wish and so I cannot refuse it. Yes Theoric is dull and dim, but he is also sweet and genuine. I know what to expect with him…for the most part."

"Sigyn you are a mind reader, do you not know what to expect of everyone?" she pushed his shoulder and rolled her eyes "Do you expect me to believe there is a hidden element to the oaf that we are unaware of?"

"No," she said smiling a little at the sarcasm in his tone "but I fear for my wedding night," she admitted this for the first time as she stood and crossed the balcony to lean on its ledge. She explained herself as she looked out over the garden "There is an element of his mind that is…. unsettling to one like me who has never known a man, that coupled with his complete inability to consider the needs or feelings of others." She turned around in time to see a strange look of disgust and concern on Loki's face "I'm just afraid Loki, I know not what to expect. What if he...hurts me?"

"There is nothing to fear Love," he stood before her, both hands on the ledge on either side of her, she had to look up to meet his eyes, which looked deeply and sincerely into hers "If he harms you in any way, your Loki will remove his innards, tear him limb from limb and scatter him across the universe."

"You would kill him?"

She asked, believing wholeheartedly that he meant every word he said.

"I said nothing about killing him…How would he suffer if he were dead? No Love, he would live through it all, in agony, until I saw fit to bestow merciful death upon him."

She took his face in her hands and kissed his lips quickly and gently before standing on tiptoe to touch her forehead to his. She did this partially out of gratitude, but mostly to soothe the beast she had unintentionally stirred. She could feel the rage coming out of his pale white skin, although to others he would have seemed perfectly fine. As she said, she knew Loki better than anyone else, and as a result it was purely coincidence that she could read minds and discern the true feelings of the heart, for the deep connection they'd shared since childhood gave her the ability to do so naturally in his case.

"Well, lucky for him there will be no need for that."

"Will you tell me if there is?"

"Only if you let me help you scatter the body parts."

He smiled and she kissed him, quickly, again. He opened his eyes and looked at her just in time to see her bathed in the light of the setting sun. Her skin was an exotic shade, brown with a fiery red undertone, her lips were full and naturally a rose red and her hair was long and as deeply black as Loki's own. There was no other woman, Valkyrie, or goddess like her in Asgard, and although she was beautiful, her exotic features made some deem her strange, and all deem her different. She stuck out like a sore thumb among the fair skinned and fair haired Asgardians, just as the slender and pale God of Mischief did. But as there was no denying his handsomeness, no one could deny that Sigyn was among the most beautiful women in the realm. She was virtuous and brave, a free spirit with an independent mind that often clashed with her desire to please her father and live up to her title as Goddess of Loyalty and Bonds . Her Godfather, the Allfather, saw fit to grant her this instead of the title her mother had held, because she displayed the qualities such a deity required, qualities Freya had lost long before her sudden death. She took her deity very seriously, yet she found herself able to relate to and identify with the moody and complicated God of Mischief and Lies. What could be farther from loyalty and bonds, than mischief and lies?

"Do you intend for me to make a cuckold of your betrothed?"

"Absolutely Not!" she declared adamantly, indignation written all over her face "Do you forget who you speak to?"

"If not, then why do you hold me so close to you?"

He smirked as she looked down and noticed her arms wrapped tightly around his body, pressing him against her, leaving no space between them at all.

"I didn't realize it." She released him and pushed him away "You cannot say those things Loki."

"I can say what I wish, I am a god, as well as a prince. "

"Perhaps you should go."

"Perhaps I will."

He moved to make himself disappear, thrown off by Sigyn grabbing his long emerald cape and yanking him to the ground, seating herself on top of him.

"Arrogant, Insufferable, Prick! Sarcastic, Nasty, Rude, Little Worm! A God and A Prince! Really? Well Behave Like It And Perhaps You Won't Have To Announce It To Us, Over and Over Again." She seethed as she poked and pinched every inch of him she could get her hands on, slapping his hands out of the way as he tried to defend himself from her amusing little assault. Eventually he grabbed her arms and crossed them in front of her as he sat up, holding her firmly as she tried to wriggle free "Let Go!"

"Hel no woman! Calm yourself."

She smiled in spite of anger and surprisingly so did he. Anyone else who pulled a stunt like that on him would have to pay for it dearly, but how could he harm Sigyn, especially when she was right. He was too caught up in this thought to see the determined look in her eye and before he could stop it he was bound and gagged and floating towards her bedroom.

"And you shall remain thus until you learn to respect my position and my deity, Prince Loki."

With a simple nod of her head she sent him in the direction of her closet, another nod opened the door, however before he was trapped within it he broke the bonds on his hands and wrists as easily as if they were made of sewing thread, and tore the gag from his mouth. He floated calmly to the ground, and Sigyn tried her best to look innocent as he advanced towards her. Sensing that the look was not working she bolted for her bedroom door, but to no avail, for long before she reached it his magic raised her into the air and allowed her to float the very long distance upwards to her ceiling. She covered her mouth to stifle her scream, for just as she was about to grab a beam and hold on for dear life, she began a fast and terrifying descent towards the stone floor that stopped a split second before impact, his magic slowly sending her right back up to the ceiling, and across the room towards where he stood.

"Loki! Please!" She yelled loudly, she was having a ball up in the air, but he couldn't know that or he would worsen her punishment "Put me down."

"Apologize to your Prince, citizen."

"I am a goddess, and moreover I am right, so I will no-"she fell again and this time could not contain her scream. It sent a pleasant chill through Loki; he could hear the joy in it. She laughed and turned on her back as she floated up once again."I will not apologize to you; you are an arrogant, insufferable, prick.

He grinned a broad and authentic grin as he looked up at the sight of his stubborn friend dangling in midair, but his attention turned to the door as it suddenly burst open. She screamed again and Loki held out his arms to catch her. She landed perfectly within them, and as he cradled her easily she couldn't help noticing how strong he was, for she had fallen far and fast and she was no waif, yet he barely flinched when she hit him. She made the mistake of meeting his gaze; those eyes were always completely hypnotizing. Could there be anyone else or anything else or anywhere else when his eyes were open and looking right into hers? Her smile slowly faded into something more serious, and she suddenly wanted something she was not conscious of wanting before.

But there were others in the room; they were the reason she had fallen into his arms.

"What is the Meaning of This?" Iwaldi bellowed in a voice as loud and powerful as the Allfather's himself. Loki tightened his grip on Sigyn's body as they broke their gaze and turned to see Iwaldi, Theoric, and a host of curious maids and servants staring at them with bewildered expressions. Loki and Sigyn stared blankly back at them. "Put her down Loki."

Loki reluctantly led Sigyn's feet to the floor and helped her stand up. Sigyn reclaimed her balance and smoothed her dress while Loki stood next to her and tried to look pleasant, which was a hard trick in Theoric's company.

"Good evening my lord." He smiled and bowed to Iwaldi, out of actual respect "My father sends his well wishes and love."

"Good Evening Father, have you come t-"

"Stop it, both of you." he crossed the room and Sigyn slid her hand into Loki's out of sheer nerves. Theoric witnessed the action and furrowed his brow, almost pouting with dejection. "This sort of child's play is unbecoming of two Asgardians with the titles and pedigrees that you both hold. You Are Not Children Any More…You Have Not Been Children for Quite Some Time. This is unacceptable!"

He heard her sigh and saw her drop her shoulders out of the corner of his eye, he could tell she was ashamed, so he gently squeezed her hand.

"Your Grace is absolutely right, Sir Iwaldi, however if you knew the story behind the scream and the embrace, you would be amused, rather than alarmed."

"Enlighten me Loki," said the aging warrior, adding with a weary sigh "and please, son, no tricks."

"Not at all," he lied, a smile so sweet it could be no less than magical on his face "Sigyn was caught off guard by a rather large bird which nested in her ceiling beam. She narrowly missed it flying into her beautiful hair by jumping into my arms."

"Sigyn?"

"Yes Father, it is true. I've been plagued by all manner of wildlife today, wasps, birds….oafs." Loki nearly choked on the sudden laugh he tried to suppress "But the bird did startle me, as Loki said."

"Who can come between you two when you present such a united front?"

Iwaldi said with a laugh, he loved his daughter more than anything else, and he had a fondness for the young Prince. He saw in Loki the makings of a fine head general of the Asgardian army and had told Odin so many times. While Iwaldi continued to laugh as Loki went into great detail about the size and coloring of the imaginary bird, Theoric sensed his presence being utterly forgotten, and decided to remedy that.

"Be that as it may, sir, it does not explain what you were doing alone with the goddess in her bedroom."

The three of them turned to look at Theoric as he came over to join them. The look on Loki's face went from amused to disgust in the blink of an eye, but just as quickly he painted on a sneer that would boil the blood of any enemy. It was the look of someone who had won a battle the opposition hadn't even begun to fight yet. Sigyn looked between the two, and then to her father, who suddenly looked very worried at the fact that she and Loki still held hands.

"Do you question my virtue, Theoric?" she said, letting go of Loki and crossing her arms in front of her "For I assure you I take my title very seriously, and am loyal to the terms of our betrothal."

"Of course Sigyn, the thought never crossed my mind that you w-"

"So then you question my virtue," Loki interrupted, "You believe a Prince of Asgard to be capable of corrupting a goddess, taking advantage of a lady, a betrothed woman in the middle of the day in her father's house."

You are capable of much worse than that you pathetic little runt. You and the fool you call brother are a disgrace to the throne. Your father deserved better in his sons.

"Theoric, you forget yourself today." Sigyn spoke slowly to keep herself and her anger under control after hearing Theoric's thoughts "Not only have you insulted our prince, you have forgotten to bow to him. How much disrespect do you intend for him to suffer?"

Theoric's eyes widened and met Sigyn's, who raised her eyebrows to signal that she was waiting. He hung his head to hide the red flush of anger and embarrassment that came upon his face. He slowly bent to one knee before the prince.

"Rise," said Loki, wondering what the idiot could have thought to make Sigyn so angry "You still look rather unsettled Theoric, is the sight of me with the goddess so objectionable to you?"

"Of course not your highness," he replied, trying desperately not to speak through clenched teeth "I am simply concerned for the well being of my betrothed." Theoric smiled a small smile at Loki's inability to conceal his dislike for that idea; envy was upon his face now. "Her scream aroused in me a protective feeling."

"Of course it did, as it should Theoric," Loki nodded slowly, regaining his composure and confident demeanor "How pleased you must be to know that I was not the cause of her screams."

Iwaldi had walked off to send the house staff back to their duties, and Sigyn stood looking at Theoric in disappointment. His mouth hung slightly open at the last words out of Loki's mouth, and Loki looked triumphant as he knew his words had stuck in his brain like a dagger, and would torment the dimwitted oaf for a long time to come. Theoric was well aware of the punishment he would face if he harmed Loki, and that was only if he survived the encounter, for everyone in Asgard knew of the young god's fearsome command of sorcery, which brute force would be no match for, but he was tempted to forget all of this and lunge for the prince's throat.

Then he remembered there was no need. Soon he would be married to Sigyn, and he would have her to himself for all eternity. Loki could make all the snide comments he wanted, but none of it would ever be true. Sigyn would never betray her husband, Sigyn would never fall victim to temptation, not even if the mischievous little man tried to trick her into it. He would have something the prince could never have, but clearly wanted very badly, and this filled him with a joy indescribable. He took Sigyn's hand and kissed it.

"Please forgive me my Pet. I completely forgot myself and my senses in my haste to assure you were in no danger. It shall not happen again."

"I certainly hope not, Theoric." Her look towards him softened as she read the depth of insecurity his heart felt at the thought of being compared to Loki. She hated to imagine their friendship causing anyone pain, and she did believe that Theoric truly cared for her. "I apologize as well; there should not have been a situation for you to question me in the first place."

Loki was stunned at this. The defiant, stubborn, strong willed girl he knew had just admitted she may have been wrong, when in fact she had done nothing wrong. He raised his eyebrows and looked between the two, curiously.

"I apologize to you as well your highness, please know it is the stress of the wedding that makes me so…quarrelsome."

"Of course, no harm done."

"Really?" Theoric asked, put off by the sincerity in Loki's tone. "Perhaps your majesty is a better man than I thought."

Theoric was further surprised and a little afraid by the sight of Loki laughing.

"You'd be amazed at how good I can be," he said with a sly grin and a wave of his hand "But your future wife can tell you all about it, she's the only one who truly knows."

By the end of the sentence he was gone, seemingly dissolved into thin air. Theoric was suddenly very relieved indeed that he'd followed his better judgement.