Hi Everyone!
I'm getting more and more excited with each upload!
Disclaimer: I WISH I owned Marvel. I'd be rolling in cash.
Sif galloped across the rainbow bridge on her horse, with a second horse in tow. It was sunrise, and the sun sent orange and yellow beams through the cloudy sky, creating a pink effect. Some stars from the night were still slightly visible, softly glimmering amongst the brighter light. The wind whipped through her hair as she approached the Bi Frost, getting closer and closer. While she should have been focusing on the task at hand, her mind couldn't help but wander to the events of the previous night.
Thor and Jane entered the dining hall, hand-in-hand, and sat across from Sif. They looked as happy as ever despite having had difficulties with seeing one another recently. Sif was only pleased to see Thor smiling. However, each time she looked at Jane she felt an aura of uncertainty and discomfort, and she just couldn't work out why. Sif wanted to like Jane and accept her, hence why she had requested to join her for a lunch picnic by the training grounds; but something just wasn't right with the mortal woman. At first she had passed it off as a culture difference; telling herself that Midgardians live in a different environment and are raised with different morals and beliefs, so therefore Jane would act differently. She had also first assumed that the complete lack of familiarity in Asgard may have made Jane a little twitchier and uncomfortable; Sif recalling her time on Midgard and her confusion with the unfamiliar surroundings the realm had to offer. But then time went on, and Jane should have settled. Though, she didn't seem to.]
That's when Sif passed it off as homesickness, and then as missing her ever-absent courtier. But no matter what excuses Sif tried to think of, nothing ever seemed to fit. She watched as Thor lifted his plate, and reached out to grab a turkey leg.
"Oh, I'll do it!" Jane exclaimed as she took his plate from his hands and began to load a large portion of food onto it, both to Thor's confusion and delight.
"Have I done something worthy of such assistance?" Thor asked, a cheerful grin faltering slightly in wonder.
"N-No! Well, yeah." Jane fumbled with her words, catching Sif's attention. She had come to notice that when Jane was nervous, she seemed to mumble, stutter, and slur. "I mean, you're always so great! I know you've been working so hard… So I wanted to… help you? Ugh, I sound so stupid, don't I?"
Thor chuckled kindly. "No, my dear Jane. I appreciate your efforts."
"T-Thanks." Jane stammered, sitting back in her place and awkwardly topping up her own plate. Sif watched her reach for her fork, only to drop it on the floor with a clang.
"Jane, are you alright?" Thor asked, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder as she bent down to pick it back up.
"Y-Yeah! Just a little clumsy." Jane explained, as nervous as ever. Wiping her fork on a serviette, she went to eat some of her rice, getting half in her mouth and half on her lap. Luckily for her, Thor had redirected his attention to Hogun, but Sif's was still stubbornly attached to her.
Sif had noticed that Jane had been getting clumsier and clumsier as the weeks had gone by; losing her sense of balance and poise. Of course it would have been impolite to have said anything about it, especially seeing as Jane could quite possibly be the future queen of the nine realms; so Sif held her tongue each time. Though it became more and more noticeable, and in turn, more frustrating to watch. She observed Jane more closely as each day came, looking for the smaller mistakes that she made as she felt those would give a better indication of what was really going on.
She recalled earlier that day when she had asked if Jane would marry Thor, and began discussing their future children. Jane had never looked more uncomfortable. Sif thought that the only time she had ever seen Jane squirm like that was when she was in the presence of the King. Jane stammered, she panicked, Sif saw it all. She knew that she was being deceived to an extent… but why?
Sif stood with Heimdall behind her in the Bi Frost, hearing him stick his sword into the keyhole. The metal making a shing sound as it grazed against it. She watched the portal begin to work itself, swirls appearing within the large circle, rainbows dancing before her eyes. The observatory walls began to spin faster and faster, and Sif sighed knowing that it had always made her feel dizzy. Eventually, a figure appeared in the distance of the portal, growing larger and larger until suddenly she stood before Sif. A tall and slim figure cloaked in a baby blue pleated gown with sleeves reaching her elbows and a low crescent neckline. Her blonde hair had grown since they had last met, her golden curls spilling down to her lower-back like an elegant waterfall. Her eyes, a vibrant blue; like the purest ocean. Her lightly glossed lips were upturned in a closed, innocent smile; and her full eyelashes almost seemed to flutter with each blink. While it was known that Freya was the Goddess of beauty and fertility, her daughter Sigyn rivalled her in every aspect.
"It is good to see you once more, Sigyn." Sif greeted her with a respectful nod.
"Aye, how long has it been?" Sigyn asked, her voice sounding like wind chimes.
"I believe that question would stump even the All-Father himself." Sif laughed in response. While she couldn't give an exact length of time, she hadn't seen Sigyn since they were children. Occasionally her parents would visit to discuss important things with the King and Queen, and Sigyn would play with everyone; that being Sif, Thor, Loki, and Fandral – as Volstagg and Hogun came later.
"When will he receive me?" Sigyn asked, not unkindly.
"Tomorrow morning, he looks forward to your assistance and we thank you very much for taking the time to-"
"Nonsense!" Sigyn interrupted her. "It is I who thank all of you for giving me an excuse to get out of that horrid house of mine. With Mother pregnant again, she's become even more high maintenance."
Sif stifled a snicker, not wanting to disrespect either Goddess in any form. "Shall we be off?"
"Yes, I think so." Sigyn replied, casting a glance to Heimdall. "Thank you for transporting me."
Heimdall nodded silently.
"So you believe something isn't quite alright?" Sigyn asked as she sipped her wine. Sif had taken her to a quiet tavern in town, half wanting to kill time and half wanting her opinion on the predicament. Having not a single clue as to why Jane was acting so overly-doting and awkward, she prayed infidelity was not the answer.
"Given what I have told you, yes." Sif responded. "I even caught word of a handmaiden seeing her in tears all alone. I cannot piece everything together on my own."
"I won't cry disloyalty when I have yet to even meet the lady, but from what I've heard it sounds as if she may feel trapped." Sigyn pondered. She brought her wine to her lips and took another sip before setting her chalice back down without a sound. "Royal courtship is quite a large deal, I should know. Once a royal begins a relationship a wedding is wholly expected regardless of how ready either party involved feels. She is a Midgardian woman of common birth. She cannot be entirely comfortable with these unfamiliar and strict concepts."
Sif sighed, tapping her index finger on the hard wood of the table. Sigyn was probably right. Perhaps Jane was feeling a little overwhelmed. "But if she felt so cornered, why has she not distanced herself? She was practically hanging on his every word at supper last night."
"It is hard to say." Sigyn paused for a few moments. "But I think our current theory is a grand possibility. I remember when I was twelve and came to visit, and the All-Father wanted to-"
"Yes, yes." Sif interjected. "I remember. You're more than aware of the stresses of public royal courtship, or should I say possibility."
"Oh, Sif, you mock me." Sigyn giggled. "I suppose next you intend to act as if you didn't cry for two days straight when-"
"Regardless of that," Sif interrupted, a frustrated blush blaring on her cheeks. "I believe we were discussing Jane Foster."
"An unusual name." Sigyn commented. "Then again, they probably think our names are just as strange. When will I meet Jane Foster?"
"Tomorrow." Sif answered. "After your meeting with the All-Father, everyone will gather in the great hall for a particular engagement. Jane will most likely be present."
"Oh wonderful!" Sigyn beamed. "I do hope to give my regards to the boys, I have been wondering how they've fared given the news I've heard. Is it true that Loki tried to enslave all of Midgard? Aiming high as always."
"He was imprisoned for it, though he gained a pardon for assisting with Malekeith and the Aether." Sif explained, entirely unimpressed with how the situation was handled. "They were willing to overlook his sin due to his wonderful tact."
"And the Aether was placed within Jane Foster?" Sigyn clapped. "She is causing quite the stir, I must say! But your intentions are pure?"
"Why would they not be?"
"Considering… the past?"
"You'll look into her tomorrow night, won't you?" Sif asked, slightly peeved with Sigyn's words. She chose to ignore Sigyn's question. While she knew that Sigyn meant no ill will, she still felt uncomfortable with her bringing it back up when it was no longer relevant.
"Certainly! I said I would, and the Goddess of Fidelity – as they call me – must always remain loyal. They don't call me that for nothing!" Sigyn took a final sip of her wine and emptied the chalice, setting it back down on the bench. She looked Sif in the eyes and whispered, "I can sense infidelity."
The sun had only just begun to set, and Jane was already exhausted. Lying in bed, she stared up at the high ceiling; admiring the intricate carvings and shapes. She never failed to appreciate the complex Asgardian architecture. While they used magic to get things up to high places, everything else was done by hand. It never ceased to amaze her.
She yawned. She had been doting on Thor all day. As soon as he got home the previous night she had just felt a sudden wave of guilt and fear. While she had recognised most of it as fear of being caught, she knew she was still afraid of losing him. Fix the Book. Leave Loki. New start with Thor. She had been repeating those words to herself since his return. She had spent the entire day with him, and yet she was still unable to sleep because she hadn't checked in with Loki about the Book progress. Getting up and throwing on a dressing gown, she scurried through the corridors until she reached Loki's quarters. Slowly slipping through the doors, she entered the main chambers and found him leaning over a book identical to the original with blue and green mist dancing around the room. She decided to keep quiet, knowing that he must have been trying to deeply concentrate and in no way did she wish to break his focus.
"Just take a seat," Loki's voice came out in a strained whisper. "I'll be with you in a moment."
"Yeah." Jane replied as she sat down in the middle-area. After a few more minutes had passed, Loki sighed and stood up properly, flicking through the beginning pages with extreme care.
"Everything seems to be working so far. I was able to use the meteor shower to our advantage, and the first section is already re-writing itself. All I need to do is command it to replicate everything with each spur of magic, and then ensure that it excludes particular events." He explained. "And then all that'll be left is to try and get it to continue writing itself."
"So it's only copying right now?"
"For now. It will only cover a certain section of the content. My guess is that it will stop by the time it reaches to topic of the second King of Asgard and his coronation."
"When was that?"
"A very long time ago, we'll say." Loki responded. "Nowhere near close to even the construction of the Mayan calendar."
"W-When was that, again?"
"Around 3500BC in mortal countings I believe. He was crowned even before that. We've much to get through." Loki sighed and Jane copied suit. It all seemed like so much hassle to cover up something so simple.
"Are we taking the original out and replacing it with this, or…?"
"I've told you that it may never leave. It will remain cloaked for the time being, and then I'll harness a great deal of magic as I am now in order to master an eternal cloaking spell." Loki explained. "We'll keep this one in plain sight, and after a few generations nobody will question anything and all will be forgotten. That is, if it even works."
"…A-…And if it doesn't?" Jane asked, her eyes downcast.
"You know the penalties we will face." Loki said solemnly. "I think it is time for you to leave now, Jane. From now on, I will contact you. Your nightly visits are too dangerous at this stage."
"Yeah, you're right." Jane muttered. "I'll go now… See ya."
Awkwardly walking her way out of Loki's quarters, she nearly collapsed when she saw Thor only metres away from her. Her heart skipping a beat, Jane had to think quickly. Her palms began to sweat, and she began to fidget. Taking deep breaths, she slowly inched to the side, further and further, until it looked like she came from around the corner instead.
"There you are!" She called out. Thor turned around immediately. "I was looking for you!"
Thor looked at her apologetically. "My apologies, Jane, but now is not a good time. I regret to inform you that the Vanaheim rebel issue has managed to worsen even further, requiring us to devise a new plan. It is no longer just a threat, but it is slowly becoming a serious danger to us all."
"O-Oh.. Really?"
"I'm afraid so." He nodded, frowning. "I am waiting for my father to return from his duties so that I may speak to him about it. I do hope I haven't disappointed you too much."
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. I'll just see you tomorrow!" Jane reassured him a little too much, though Thor only smiled.
"Tomorrow, all of Asgard will be celebrating. Feasts, parades, dancing, drinking; all of it. I hope to share it with you. Will you join me for the day tomorrow?" Thor asked her, his face lighting up again.
Jane smiled brightly in return. "I wouldn't miss it. What are we celebrating?"
"My mother's birthday. Though she is no longer here with us, we thought it right to celebrate it one last time." He said softly, a rare tone for the mighty Thor. "It is going to feel strange next year when the villages are not brightly coloured and noisy on her birthday, so I'll just have to find something else to celebrate on that day."
Jane sighed inwardly, she had been so caught up in her own life and problems that she hadn't even realised that Thor was still grieving Frigga. She pulled him into a tight hug. "It'll be okay. I'll be there with you."
Or would she?
Sigyn is here! I just wanted to point out that she is blonde in this story, but I think her hair may have been black in the comics?
I've always leant more towards the mythology for my ideas rather than the actual comics and films, and in the mythology I have always seen Sigyn being depicted with blonde hair - so I already have that pre-existing image of her that I just can't seem to shake. I do hope it won't be a problem for anybody.
Enjoy and Review!
- Danni xx