Loki stares at Sigyn as if she's speaking another language. He's carrying four books in his arms, holding them to his chest like prized possessions glaring at Sigyn as if she grew another head.
She clears her throat realizing that he wasn't going to answer her. "Prince Loki?"
"I'm sorry." He blinks rapidly trying to understand the request Sigyn was making of him. "You said what?"
"Princess Sif requests your presence for lunch." She repeats trying not to stare openly into his green eyes. How she missed the way he used to look at her, with such longing and desire.
"Um, why?" He asks. "Why does she request my presence for lunch?"
Sigyn wants to laugh but knows full well a servant laughing at a prince would be punished, if not removed for her duties at the Palace. Loki was always somewhat paranoid though and it was comforting to see that he still was. "She would like to share a meal with you."
"Yeah, I get that. What I don't get is why she would want that. I mean, she barely tolerates me on her best days. She's never requested my presence at anything."
Sif told her it would be difficult to convince the Prince to come. "According to My Lady, she would like to spend a meal with her brother."
"Brother?" That confused face came back, one brow arched high on his forehead. "That was her exact word?"
"Yes my Prince." She confirmed.
"This is strange. Do you think I will be poisoned?"
At first she thought he was joking but a smile never came. She realized he really thought he was going to be poisoned by Sif. "Prince Loki I picked the food myself. I know for sure it is not poisoned and for what it's worth, I doubt a shield maiden would poison anyone."
The answered seemed to calm him as his eye brow returned to its natural state. "I supposed you're right. Lead the way my Lady."
Sigyn walks unnecessarily slow towards her mistress' chambers wanting just a little more alone time with Loki. The slow pace seems to be a good idea as Loki quickly grows tired of the silence.
"How do you like it here Sigyn? Are you enjoying your new position?"
"Yes My Lord." She answers before adding. "Princess Sif is a gracious Lady."
"Princess Sif is a mess." Is his quick reply.
She almost laughs because that assessment of her is accurate. Sif is a wonderful shield maiden but she is not as good at being a lady of the court. Sigyn won't judge though. Neither is she.
Lady Sif stands up from her table as Sigyn and Loki come in. She's wearing a light blue dress looking every bit of a princess. The look in her dark eyes betrays the look though. "Loki, I am so glad you decided to come."
Loki eyes her warily. "And what is the meaning of this lunch sister?"
Sigyn leaves the pair to set the table. "Well, Thor requested that I make more of an effort to spend time with you." It is kind of the truth and he seems to believe the half-truth as he puts his books down and sits at the table.
The plates are made and placed before them.
Sif sighs contentedly. "So Loki, what is new with you?"
Loki takes a taste of the purple vegetable on his plate. "Nothing really."
"That's not what I heard." She tells him. "I was told you are sneaking away to see a lover every night."
Sigyn smiles from her table in the corner at Sif's tactlessness.
He frowns. "Really? A lover? No."
"But you are sneaking away." She presses.
"It's not sneaking if everyone is watching me so intently. I promise you it's nothing as exciting as a lover that I am seeing to."
Sigyn sighs in quiet relief. "Very well. Let us then talk about why you are not seeing to lovers."
Loki squints tilting his head to the side. "Why are you so interested in my affairs?"
Sif starts to look uncomfortable. It takes her a moment to come up with something to say. "Because I think now that my place is in courtly matters; that it might be time for you to find a wife. Don't you want to get married?"
"No, not particularly." He doesn't hesitate to answer but Sigyn knows that a lie. There was a time he wanted to marry her. "If I had a wife I would have to tell her things."
Sif laughs. "Yes, I supposed you will. Ok, so no wife."
"No, no wife." He agrees
"Besides, you are a hard man to pick a wife for anyway. You have very particular tastes." Sigyn is impressed with Sif's persistence in discussing something that Loki clearly doesn't want to discuss.
"It's not so particular." He defends himself. "I just don't want some pretty empty headed woman."
"Yes intelligence is very important." Sif agrees mentally storing his words.
Loki shifts in his seat. "But tell me, have things changed much for you since your marriage."
Sif nods. "Yes, very much so. I can't spar as much as I like to and I admit there are now limitations on me."
Loki seems to understand this. "I hate limitations. I work daily to break them."
"And you succeed often." She informs him. "Unfortunately, I am no longer in a position to break rules."
Loki snorts. "If you want to spar, then spar. There are many shield maiden princesses. Many told you there was no way you to be as fierce of a warrior and yet there is not a man in our army that can best you."
She looks at Loki hard, as if trying to look through him. It's at this point that their conversations always sour. Their view on life was so different. "Loki, you live in a world of no boundaries. In the real world there are boundaries everywhere."
"Sif, the world I live in is the real world." He insists. "I see it for what it is. People tend to put restrictions on themselves and I choose not to. Perhaps they are afraid of consequences of what others will think of them. I don't have that."
She agrees with with. Loki doesn't seem to possess the fear others have and he doesn't seem to care much for what others think of him. But she realizes there is a restriction on him but perhaps he doesn't see it. "Except your restriction on lovers."
He arches an eyebrow, this time not out of confusion but at the challenge Sif is presenting. "Are we back on that?"
Sif would not relent. "I simply stating that you claim to live a life without rules except you clearly have a rule on marriage."
"That is a very different thing." His voice has changed. It's deeper now. It's the voice he used when in battle.
"No, no it's very much the same thing. Loki, being alone doesn't keep you safe." After she says it she wants to take it back. She knows showing him himself would leave either to vicious anger or him making light of the situation.
"Who says I'm alone?" He chose to make light of it. His voice is back to that smooth tone. "I'm sitting here right now eating lunch with you."
She sighs realizing that he has put up his wall of defense and he wasn't about to let it down. "Ok what about children. Don't you want them?"
"Children!" Hi scoffs. "Can you imagine me a father?"
"Actually I can." She says. "More so than even Thor."
"Really?" He seems surprised. She obviously holds him in higher regard than he holds himself.
"Yes really." She asserts. "I've seen you while you practice your magic. You encourage it. Having a child is no different.
He's uncomfortable, it shows in his demeanor. His eyes look wild as he tries to get a grip on the situation. "Would you look at that, all my food is gone. I guess lunch is over now." He stand abruptly to leave.
"Until next week brother?" She requests.
He hesitates before nodding. "As you wish sister."