This chapter brought to you by the combined efforts of myself and RTVampireKilljoy. Thanks for the help, my friend.

"Silence! You don't know me half as well as you think you do." She said. "Now, if you have no further use for me at the moment, I'm going to excuse myself…" She walked down the steps, practically fleeing the throne room.

"Sigyn, I have not granted you leave…" Odin said evenly, standing swiftly.

Sigyn froze turning around. "I am the queen, am I not permitted to do as I please?" she asked, hating the one-eyed king even more. His jaw clenched as he breathed deep, trying to keep calm.
"I do not wish you to leave on such terms Sigyn. I want each time we leave each other to be without hatred. I am no fool…. I know you do not like me… even though I am trying… I only ask you try as well…or at least give me the chance."

"I didn't give you leave to marry me, what say I go without your permission, and we'll call it even?" she snapped, continuing on her way, whether he liked it or not.

He frowned, but did not try and stop her. He had known that she would not be tamed from the moment he had met her.
With a sad look, he sat back down. He would not win her over with force. It only brought the worst out of them both. He'd just have to remember to check his clothing and any other thing of his for any enchantments or jinxes.
He spent his time trying to come up with something that would help her see past this illusion and see him without seeing him.
Why did it have to be so hard to show love and have it returned?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

She went back to the bedroom, going through all of the king's robes, smiling to herself as she placed spells over them. None of them would be detectable. Loki had taught her at least that much before he'd died. A spell to simulate the effect of itching powder; that had been her personal favorite. She grinned as she remembered how Thor had reacted to it being used on his armor, back when they were younger. Odin would regret ever having thought of choosing her. Satisfied with her work, she retreated to Frigga's former sitting room, and sat at the spinning wheel until dinner, glad to forget for a moment how she missed Loki. Sigyn didn't bother dressing up for dinner, her simple day dress would have to suffice. She was only there because she had to be, not to impress anyone. She took her place next to Odin at the high table, ignoring the sidelong glances she was getting from the other ladies.

Loki looked to her with a worried look. Not for her clothing, she would look stunning in rags he thought, but he wondered if she had cooled down and was feeling more civil.
"How was your time alone?"

"Quite lovely, thank you, it's the best I've felt since I came here…" she said, her tone clipped. "It gave me some time to think things over." she admitted a little more quietly, hoping that the tone would be misleading. He nodded hiding his gut reaction.
"I'm glad you were able to have that time then…I… I am sorry about before…I am trying dear. Trying my best for us both." He said honestly.

"If you want what's best for me, one might ask why you forced me into this marriage…" Sigyn said softly, starting to eat. "People have already started talking; they know how Loki and I were before. Many of them believe it's wrong for a father to take his son's fiancée, even if the son is dead…" she added, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

"I know what people think and say… but… there is more to my actions then they or perhaps even you can understand at this time…and I am sorry you do not yet seem to understand it." He kept his voice low as he replied.
With a sigh he continued to eat.

"I was perfectly content to stay with Eir." she mumbled. "I have more friends than you realize, my lord, I will find a way out of this…"

He chuckled, smiling fondly, "I know… as do I." He sighed.
"You did not find any of your dinner dresses to your liking?" He asked curiously. "or just not in the mood to dress up for the occasion? Either way I wouldn't blame you. If you wish we can get you new dresses, or something else you may like."

"Oh, I liked them all. Adored them really, but I know you'll like them too…" she said, smiling a little. "That's the last thing I want…"

"Hmm… I'm glad you like them then…" He said with a smile and continued to eat, all the time thinking, 'More reasons why I love you Sigyn.'
"If anything, I just want you happy…. well as best as I can…"

"You keep saying that, but I have a hard time believing you…I was happy before my father sold me to you…Explain to me why I should be happy with this situation…" She wiped her mouth carefully and set the napkin back across her lap.

"Sigyn, answer me this, have I once tried to force you to do anything of an intimate nature?" He said very bluntly. "If anything I have saved you from any black hearted fool slime that he could have given you to. I would not see you broken and used in any such manner."

"No, but I at least had the option of running away from those 'black-hearted fools' that you mention. Now, I'm a public figure, and I have no choice but to stay. Why should I be married to someone I have no love for?" she countered quietly, her words no less venomous for their tone. "You let him die. You had him and Thor at the end of the Bifrost, and you let him fall, and then when he returned, you threw him in a cell to rot. Yes, he did unspeakable things, but you wouldn't even let him come to his own mother's funeral. Tell me why I should have any respect for you."

"That is right. I did not know how to react to Loki's actions and when struck with grief I became worse. But Loki was hardly rotting. He had all he ever wanted from his mother. The only thing he lacked was people to come see him. That was those people's issues. They did not find they could still be considered friends to him and he did not wish to accept them either."

"I visited him, All-Father. I loved him, and now I'm here in violation of the oaths I spoke to him before he fell. So much for fidelity." Sigyn finished her food and got up, making her way out of the hall and escaping to the bedroom before he could protest.

Loki sighed as he watched her leave. It hurt him to see her so upset. He finished his own meal quietly in thought. He would have to find a way to speak to her as himself without her knowing he was still alive.
He would do it that night. He couldn't bear to watch her think she had betrayed him.

She was in tears by the time she made it back to their chambers. She quickly changed into her nightgown, and let her hair down before falling across the bed, sobbing. It would've been better if Eir hadn't intervened after she'd learned of Loki's death. Slowly, the tears stopped, and she fell asleep curled up at the foot of the bed.

Loki arrived shortly after she fell asleep. He could tell she had been crying. Her cheeks still wet as well as the bedding beneath her.
With a gentle touch he moved her to her place in the bed. Careful not to wake her as he worked. He checked his clothing, making sure to use any spell he had to defuse any spells she may have cast at him. Once done he changed, slipping in his side before closing his eyes to focus. Within moments he was on the edge of her mind as she dreamed. No longer Odin, but Loki.

She stirred slightly, feeling a familiar presence.
'Who…' she asked, her dream-self wary. 'Loki? What are you doing here?' she asked, seeing him, feeling like she'd been punched in the gut. This was so real, she couldn't tell if she was still asleep or not.

"Hello Sigyn." Loki smiled coming forward. "Beautiful as always…but…so sad… it's a shame to see a face like yours covered in tears…it's a crime, really."

She threw her arms around him, tears coming again. "You must not know what's been happening, then…" She told him everything Iwaldi had said, what Odin had done, and about the argument at dinner. "I just want you back…" she said. "Can I just stay here with you and not wake up again?" He hugged her tight, oh how he wished to tell her that it had been him all this time.
"And take such a beauty from the world? Never. I know it is hard, you aren't alone in this. But Sigyn… you got to be strong though…"

"But it's all so wrong…I hate him…I hate them all…I just want to have my happiness for once. Just once…" She clung to him, shaking. "He acts like he did me a favor by marrying me. I hate him."

"In a way… has he not? He is protecting you is he not? I want you safe Sigyn… I could not bear it if anything happened to you… or you ended up with someone abusive…" he looked sad and disturbed at the thought.

"Oh, and being stuck here with the one who abandoned you is so much better…" she sighed. "Why doesn't anyone see that besides me? You sound just like him when you say that…"

Loki smiled mischievously, "Do I… or does he sound like me?" He stroked her cheek softly hoping she might think more on that.

"I don't even know any more…" she sighed, resting against him listening to his heart beat. He never had a heartbeat in any of her other dreams, this was new. "Do I have to wake up?"

"Is it morning?" he chuckled, "If it isn't, then why wake… sleep and stay with me a bit longer…" He stroked her hair softly as he hummed swaying with her in his arms.

She smiled, kissing him softly on the lips. "Promise to visit me again?" she asked, quietly, content to let him hold her.

He grinned, "Of course and I shall keep an eye on you. Watch you and keep you safe as I can." He kissed her forehead.
"Bear with him… he is a fool, but a caring one."

"I still hate him…" she sighed, too exhausted by this point to be very vocal about it. "I wish I had gone with you and Thor and the mortal girl." she mused.

"If you had and been hurt… or worse… I would have died just from that." He chuckled a bit, "Do you hate me?" He smirked as he asked.

"No, I love you…I wish you were still here. You would've kept this from happening." She replied. "I could never hate you."

"I am still here…" he said placing his forehead to hers before chuckling, "And yes you do… you just don't know it yet."

She made a face. "Why do you always speak in riddles, darling?" she asked, kissing him gently.

"If everything was straight forward, it would be so boring." He chuckled. He missed this affection. He had thought he had not craved it as much, but now, he knew better.

"After the excitement of the last few days, I could use a little 'boring'." she sighed, nipping at his lower lip, before settling against his chest again.

He couldn't help but nip back at her softly. "Lay with me?" He asked softly, running his hand down her side. "I have missed you so much…" he added, a needy light in his eyes.

She nodded, letting him move her as he pleased. "I missed you too." She kissed him again, a little more roughly, relishing the familiar feel of his lips against hers. Outside their dream, Loki's illusion had fallen. His concentration on the spells was lost to his interactions with Sigyn.
He had fails in place to keep any intruders out; he'd be alerted and have time to change if someone tried to get into the room. It had been too long since he'd seen her, too long since they'd done this last...

When he left, claiming that she would have to wake up soon, she didn't put up as much of a fuss as she thought she would've. "Just promise me you'll come back?" she said, drifting off to sleep as he disappeared.

Loki worried at first she would not believe his words, but soon it was clear she would believe it a dream with how hard she wished for him to be back. And for the moment he went with it. Better to lie for now.

"Always." Loki promised kissing her once more. "I will come back for you." He was glad she had dozed off before he restored his illusion as Odin.