That was so embarrassing for her. So embarrassing. By the Norns, how could she… She could never again set a foot under his eyes. Not even in thousand years. She wished she could blame the mead for it, but she had a completely clear mind. She rolled from one side to the other, taking the pillow and pressing it on her face. She wished the ground would open and swallow her. How could she have done it. What must he think of her? She ruined everything…Everything. How could she even think of this idea? He would avoid her. He probably wouldn't even look at her, and most definitely think she was nuts! She hoped the Norns would like her and that he would only think that she has been drunk. No...You don't become drunk from only two cups of mead...Never. Did he kiss her back? Was that kissing back? No, surely not. She imagined it differently.
She screamed into the pillow and buried her head into the down feathers. She should have never done this. Never. She ruined everything. It was so wonderful and she had to ruins it…

He felt miserable like never before the next morning. Maybe he should have stayed at the feast, then he would've known what they had done and he wouldn't have stayed awake the whole night thinking of this. One could see that he had had a sleepless night, and his reflection told him that. Even with magic he couldn't do much. He sighed before getting ready. Later in the dining hall when his eyes scanned the room and the table, his stomach seizing, creating a small knot in the pit of his being. Neither his brother nor Sigyn could he see. This was not a good sign. She was always already there at this hour in the morning. It would be too suspicious if he leave again, so he took his seat next to his mother, greeting his parents with a nod.
"Are you feeling well, my son?" asked Frigga,
"Yes mother, wonderful."
"You look like you haven't gotten enough sleep."
"Quite the contrary, I've slept well."
"You don´t look like that especially considering the fact that you left early yesterday," said Odin. "Your brother stayed until late at night. He danced and talked with Sigyn for a long time."
Loki took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a short moment.
"That must be a pleasure for you, if that is what you wanted, or not? Do you at all think a single thought about what they both actually want?"
"Loki, what´s…," started Frigga but was interrupted by her son.
"Do you really believe they both would be such a happy pair? Do you really believe Thor is mature enough to be bound to one forever instead of grabbing after every skirt? Do you really think she is his true love? He doesn´t know a single bit, or haven´t you yet noticed? They haven´t had a single serious talk until now! He´s too childish for her, she would be desperately unhappy at his side. She is a smart and young woman who needs someone at her side with the same brainpower. Thor would only nag that there are no pictures in the books she´s reading…"
Both, Frigga and Odin, were equally surprised and stunned by the speech of their son, and also speechless.
Loki himself noticed too late what he has said and that he should keep his mouth shut.
"Loki," tries Frigga again as she laid softly a hand on his shoulder, "it sounds as if you would be…"
He never was able to hear the assumption of his mother because right at that moment his brother entered into the hall. Loki thanked him silently. Like always, he wore a big smile on his face, rested his hand on the shoulder of his brother for a greeting, kissed the cheek of his mother, and nodded to his father before he took a seat.
Loki staggered in thought, is this a good or bad sign. Did they spend the night together? Did they only come separate to not make anyone suspicious? What is was he thinking? She would never do such a thing! She is a reputable woman!

"How are you today, my son," smiled the queen.
"Amazing! I´ve slept very well and now I´m hungry like a bear!" This destroyed all of Loki's hopes. When his brother was already this hungry in the morning…
"You talked quite a bit with Sigyn yesterday," said Odin.
"I just told her some old stories," smiled Thor. "And she dances like a fairy." She dances far better than a fairy, thought Loki sourly.
"You danced with Sigyn until late at night."
"That´s my good right as prince," grinned Thor as he took a large bite of the food set before him.
"As long as she still has her feet…," mumbled Loki.
"Do you want to tell me that I´m not a good dancer, brother?"
"You're not known to be light-footed," he scoffed.
"Are you now the God of dancing?"
Loki threw an angry glance over to his brother. If only he could throw something at him right now...that golden chalice would do nicely. The doors suddenly opened and he was distracted from his miscreant thoughts as Sigyn entered the hall.
Loki's chest tightened with an uncomfortable feeling as she drew nearer to him, making it difficult to breath.
Frigga gave a soft smirk at her youngest son's reaction. She now knew why he was in such a foul mood.

Thor stood immediately and greeted her with arms wide open. "Good morning, Sigyn! Sit down, have you had a good night?" He grinned and drew back a chair for her.
"Good morning majesties, royal majesties," she nodded at the royal family before she took her seat next to Thor. "Yes, I slept very well last night, thank you for asking. I hope you have too?"
"So good, I didn't wanted to get up."
She didn't look like they had spend the night together, actually she looked fully rested and regained. He noticed that she still worn the bunch of the Belladonna in her hair, and her dress in was exactly the same colours like as the flowers. It fit perfectly with her honey-golden hair. Somewhere…he felt flattered by that fact. Only when she noticed his glance did she look up to him, but immediately he looked back down to his plate. Why couldn't he look at her… maybe because he was still ashamed of what happened in the gardens? Maybe because he didn't want to see in her eyes a hint of a relationship between her and his brother? Or maybe because he was ashamed of what he thought of her?
"You vanished suddenly, yesterday, Prince Loki. I had hoped to share a dance with you last night."
It was hard for him to not look up at the sound of her voice. He swallow once before he found his voice again.
"I had to do something urgently. Something that couldn´t wait." He knew this is a weak excuse. But what should he tell her? That he got sick by the look of her and his brother and how they danced?
"Not that you overworking yourself, Prince Loki."
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the smile on her lips. He wasn't sure if she had forgotten what happened in the gardens, or if she prefered to act as if nothing had happened.
"There are things that can´t wait… that are the duties of a Prince."
"He likes to sit in his dark chambers, Sigyn," smiled Thor. "For him there´s nothing better than old unreadable formulas and stinking brews. Give him old, musty books and he's happy."
"But books are an important and significant treasure of our culture." Sigyn looked up to Thor. "If our ancestors hadn't written anything down, how would we have their knowledge today? We wouldn't. If everything were to just pass on from mouth to mouth then so many things would get lost, so many things would be forgotten or be interpreted in the wrong way. And if you treat them well, books can survive the eternity. Books are an universal cultural asset. On Midgard they were once a priceless treasure, some very expensive copies were parts of dowries and were worth its weight in gold. They were more valuable than gold and jewelleries." Thor suppressed a sigh and rolled his eyes. He didn't want to discuss the meaning of books at the breakfast table.

Loki looked over to her and a small smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth. "You have to excuse my brother…he only prefers books with a lot of pictures and just a little text."

Sigyn giggled, and with that small giggle he felt much better and looked more directly over to her. "Even in his younger years he rather left the reading to others such as myself. Books are only good enough for him as a paperweight or to prevent tables and chairs from wiggling. Sometimes he also uses them to heat the fireplaces. And with papyrus scrolls he would be over challenged." The small giggle grew into light laughter. It was wonderful that she was having fun, but Thor disliked that it was happening at his expense.
"Well, compared with you brother, I at least am no hermit. Every woman at your side would have a lonely life."
"Uh, do you know what a hermit is? Or did you overhear that somewhere or had an encyclopaedia dropped on your head? Your future wife has to fear to find you every night in someone else's bed."
"And your future wife would be jealous of some books, a little depressing, don´t you think?"
"At least you can´t commit adultery with books, which is what your future wife will have to fear every night."
"Enough! We are at the breakfast," chided the queen, but she had to smile because of her sons. "You can discuss that later." A wide grin settled on Thor´s face.
"Lady Sigyn…would you like to watch how my brother and I exercise together?"
"Forget it," hissed Loki. "I have better things to do than brawl with you."
"Coooowaaard," jeered Thor.
"Compared to you I´m grown up and don´t need to agree with your childish behaviour."
"He just fears to embarrass himself," grinned Thor as he looked at Sigyn.
"You are the one who´s stumbling over his feet!"
"You need to get into the healing chamber right before the noon meal."
Loki didn't want to give in to Thor's challenge, he had better thing to get done, but one glance at Sigyn… "Right before the noon meal," he agreed. "You will wish you hadn't challenged me at all."
"Enough is enough! We are at breakfast; you can shift your squabbling tol ater. If you two star to kick each other under the table I´ll throw you both out," determined the queen. These two were as bad as stags fighting for territory.
"I´m sorry, mother." Both excuses were spoken simultaneously.
"You could also say something…" She slapped Odin softly on the arm.
"What should I say? They're boys," he shrugged his shoulders.

After breakfast, Loki would've liked to speak to Sigyn in private. Right then may not have been the correct time, or manner, but he needed to know, he needed clarity. He feared otherwise he wouldn´t be able to sleep anymore…When she told him she didn't understand what he was talking about, it was enough to satisfy his mind and he could then forget it and stop trying to avoid her. But he wasn't sure how he would've responded had she said something different. He rose from his chair, wanting to take a few steps towards her as his brother reached his hand towards hers, breathing a kiss on her hand and helping her to stand.

"Are you ready for a little walk?"
"I would like to," she nodded lightly. She cast a glance over to the younger one. Loki is forced himself to smile, but didn't know really how to read the glance she threw at him. His smile faded as soon as they both left the hall.
"They would be a beautiful couple."
Loki looks with anger at his father. Sometime he really was an old fool. "That´s the only thing that counts, right? The main issue is that they are a ´beautiful couple`!" Loki shoved his chair forward, creating a harsh screeching noise as it moved. With question in his eyes, the king looked over to his wife.
"Sometimes you don´t see the forest for all the trees," she smirked and placed a kiss on Odin´s cheek.

He would wipe his arrogant grin off his face today! Loki swore it to himself as he thought of the training with his brother. He would show for once and for all what magic was truly capable of, that brute strength was nothing compared to magic. His brother would be nothing without Mjölnir. He´s only the warrior and fighter because of his magical hammer. He would show that he´s the better one of them both, that… The thought frightened him somehow. He wanted to impress her. He wanted to show her that he was the better choice. He shook off that thought. He´s his brother and not his rival. It would be just a simple training like they had had thousands of times earlier. He would tell Thor for the hundredth time to pay more attention to his backing, he, Loki, would be faster and more swift while his brother would have the greater strength. Just a simple training.
He needed to distract himself urgently, needed to ban those thoughts out from his head. They were no rivals, and they would never be. How presumable would it be that they both would tout for the same girl? And even if his brother would choose Sigyn… then he would have to accept it and to ignore the chaos she caused him to feel. What could he even change about that? He could… no. The girl of the brother is taboo.
With frustration he slamed his fist into the next wall. That was so… what was she doing with him? What was this woman only doing with him andwhy was she not even in his presence right now! He cursed to himself in that moment for the chaos that was within him, for the rivalrous thoughts, and above all for the insecurity because of the last night. When he only would have clarity…

In his opinion the noon came too early. It was childish and foolish of him to agree, ordinary he was grown up enough. But to see them both together… he couldn´t do anything else. On his way to the exercise ground he smoothened out his clothes. He didn't feel well at all with the thought that Sigyn would be a guest at the training and would watching them. He feared she would distract him a little bit. He just needed to concentrate…
As he arrived at the exercise grounds, Thor and Sigyn already waiting for him. His brother looked as if he couldn't wait for it. She sat on a bench and watched his brother who flounced around like a cockalorum. His eyes reverted back on Sigyn. She changed her dress, now she wore one in a light spring green made of velvet and silk that flattered her shape. The sleeves only covered her shoulders; he could see her naked arms. A bow with roses emphasizes her waist, in general that dress emphasized her charms. Still she worn the flowers of the Belladonna in her hair… He could have gotten lost at her sight, looking at her for hours. Why hasn´t he noticed this earlier?
"Ah, finally you're here, brother. Ready to spend the next several days in the healing chamber?" the blond one grins.
"Ready for the greatest defeat in your whole life?" Sigyn looks at Loki and immediately a smile settles on her lips.
"Prince Loki, it´s good to see you. I hope you had a nice forenoon?"
"Thank you, Milady. I hope you had a nice one too? I hope Thor hasn´t bored you too much?" She laughs a bit. Her laughs is also placing a smile on his face.
"You can promise me to rescue me out of such a situation when it happens."
"It would be a pleasure for me," he smiled and bowed down. Thor cleared his throat to get attention of his brother, waiting for him with the hammer over his shoulder.
"Enough of this banter."
"You can´t wait to lose, huh?"
"We will see who´s losing. Ready?"
"Ready when you are."
"Memorize the face of my brother well," he said as he looked to Sigyn. "It will take a lot of time after today until he looks again like this." Thor grinned broadly and swung his hammer playfully. Loki took two daggers out of his belt, his eyes fixed on his brother, waiting for the right moment. He knew too well that his brother was too impulsive, that he would be the one who would make the first attack. And he was right. It didn't take long until he lunged out with Mjölnir, throwing it at Loki. He shirks away from Mjölnir, throwing the first dagger. Thor gets leapt out of the way, but before the hammer is back in his hands, the next stabbing weapon rushed towards him.
Loki grinned as he say the blood drip from his brother's arm from his weapon. "A little bit too slow today, don´t you think?"
"Say it again after you´re lying on the ground…"
He didn't waste any more daggers as his brother threw the mighty weapon at him without mercy, again and again. Loki concentrated a best he could now. With a fast move he was behind Thor, and from his hands a fierce blast hit him, causing him to stumble. He lost the hammer, but as he wants to grab it again a wall of fire shot out from the ground. With anger he turned around.
"You want to fight in unfair ways?"
"I´m only using every possibility that´s in my power." Another blast swept the god of thunder from his feet. Slowly he got up again, attempting to grab his weapon.
"Never underestimate a magician."
"Never underestimate my hammer."
Sigyn jumped up from her seat, applauding. "That was impressive!"
Loki looked over to her, smiling at her compliment because for sure he thought she meant his magic skills. He didn't see, however, that Thor had lunged out again. Suddenly, he saw the hammer, trying to duck away but wasn´t fast enough this time. He was hit on his forehead by one cold, corners of the magic weapon, thrown onto his back and for a short moment everything became black in front of his eyes.