Sigyn stood before Odin in the throne room. It was silent; empty except for her and the king. The air was heavy and the light dull. Sigyn could hear the Allfather's drawn-out breaths as his eyes finally wandered to where the princess was standing. "Sigyn…" he said, slowly, with due pause, "I am truly sorry to hear of your strife, and apologize for the fact that it came from the hand of my son."
"You need not apologize for Loki's own doings, your majesty. I hold nothing against anyone but my husband." Sigyn replied, bowing her head. It had been a day since Loki's episode in the tower, and she had recovered from the incident soundly. Only faint bruises remained where Loki's elegant fingers had tightened around her jaw and neck, although it hadn't been the hand which left the deepest mark. She shivered at the memory of Loki's red face of rage, the bite in his voice worse than a viper's, the look in his eyes of pure mindlessness. For hours she had pondered if the man that had nearly killed her had truly been her husband, who only moment before had kissed her and whispered of his love for her. How could it have been? How could there be such contradicting characters living in the same mind? Was he truly that tormented? She could only go on with an almost blinding hope that the madman in her husband was only an old ghost, screaming its last few orations to the only ear it knew would hear them.
Odin sighed. "You are too kind to my son, young one. Perhaps I was wrong to place you in such an unforgiving situation." His voice was solemn. The king stepped from his throne to the stair above Sigyn.
"I would not question your judgment, my lord. If you saw me fit for this task when you chose me, then it is in reality I who has failed you." Sigyn looked up at Odin and into the king's remaining eye. The one window into his soul was clouded with an expression of regret and concern.
"No, no, daughter, do not tell yourself such things. You have only helped my son. You have given him the only love he has chosen to see, and I do believe it has changed at least part of his frozen heart. I thank you for all you have done for Loki. For this, I shall release you from your binds as his wife if you so choose. I do not want to force you into another situation such as yesterdays. It is too dangerous for such a young beauty to be tied to such a man as cruel and cold as Loki has become, and I cannot bear to see you suffer as you have in these past weeks. You may go if you desire." Odin said, placing a hand on Sigyn's shoulder.
For a moment, Sigyn's mouth opened to release no words, and she stood in stunned silence as she attempted to grasp the gravity of the king's offer. Leave Loki? No, no, no… she couldn't. She was the Goddess of Fidelity; it was her only nature to hold fast to her husband, as wicked as he may be. She swallowed and prepared to speak. "My lord…" she began, haltingly. A sigh escaped her coral lips. "I am sorry, but I must decline. As you have granted me the title of fidelity, I feel it is my only choice to stay with Loki. He is my husband, bound by vow and flesh, and thus I must uphold my promises to him. I shall answer in solemn truth, your majesty, that it is not only my title which ties the prince and me together… but also my love. I love him, Allfather. With such severity as I cannot even begin to describe. I do not know why, or what it is that makes me love Loki, but I do. And I could not bear to give up on him now, no matter what harm it may cause me. He has felt abandoned far too many times in his life, and I could not leave him to feel that again, for I have seen first-hand what it brings. You are so kind to let me have the chance to leave, my lord, but I am afraid I cannot allow myself that option. Please bear with my decision."
Odin gave a single nod, taking his hand down. "Your heart is pure, young princess. I do not doubt the strength of your commitment to my son and the future it will bring the both of you. I admire your perseverance and bravery, for it is that of a warrior. Now go and see your husband. His healing has been slow, I hear, and he needs the strength of a woman such as you to guide him through. He is lucky to have you as I am lucky to have my Frigga. But be safe, Sigyn."
The goddess nodded and bowed to her king before turning and walking briskly down the hall. A shiver ran down her spine. She had been only thoughts away from fulfilling her husband's greatest fear—her betrayal.
Sigyn padded quietly down the halls of the palace towards the healing rooms. As she entered the darkened chamber her husband lay in, she breathed slowly. Loki was asleep, propped up in bed by a pillow, broken arm draped across his lap in bandages as the healer's magic slowly worked to heal the shattered bone. His bare chest was bound in white, the same spell working at his ribs. Thor had wielded Mjolnir, and Loki had felt the consequences of his actions. Sigyn sighed. Her husband's body had only been half-healed since his misfortunes on Midgard, and now he had been broken again. People forgot that Loki did pay for his actions, mainly in splintered bones and torn flesh. She stepped quietly to his bedside, laying a hand across his brow, feeling the heat of a feverish sleep against her skin. Loki's warmth was far less than any Asgardian, but she could still tell his body battled with the illness brought about by an encounter with Mjolnir. She wondered what he saw in his fevered dreams, but realized it would probably terrify her to really know.
A thought crossed her mind—only for a moment—that perhaps her blind allegiance to Loki was a foolish thing. She shut it out as she stroked her husband's glistening brow. For once, it was not creased. "You will be better." She whispered to him. A sighing breath escaped her prince's parted lips.
Hmmm… yep, all I have to say is 'Hmmm…", and perhaps the feeling that the progress of this chapter was a bit rushed. But what do you have to say? –Em