Chapter 29

Lagertha woke to a sharp pain in her head. She groaned as the light seeping through her slightly opened eyelids inflicted more agony on her sensitive eyes. "Why have you the curtains open?" She queried, not opening her eyes as she spoke.

"I woke to go to the bathroom some while ago and decided to remain awake. It is quite late in the morning, breakfast was left outside an hour ago." He chided playfully. When he realised that Lagertha's teeth were chattering, and she that she was not getting up as she usually would, he became concerned. "Gertie? Darling, are you alright?"

"I am not feeling very well."

Loki rose from the table he was sitting at and went back to the bed as fast as was possible. As soon as he placed his hand to her skin, his eyes widened. "You are burning up."

Lagertha pulled away from his touch, shivering violently. "Actually, I'm freezing." She shuddered.

Loki frowned; he had no idea what to do. "What else is ailing you my dear?"

"My head and eyes are in agony." She groaned, curling up in the blanket. "Please, please Loki, get me more blankets."

"But you do not seem to realise that you are drenched in sweat."

"Please Loki." She begged miserably.

"Alright, I shall get them." He used his seidr to conjure some thick warm blankets. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Sleep, quiet and darkness." She whimpered.

"I can give you quietness and darkness, but the sleeping part you will have to do yourself." He whispered, stroking her perspiration dampened forehead.

She smiled weakly. "I got that covered. Thank you."

"Should I call for a tonic?"

Lagertha nodded slightly. "It will help, but I will still be inflicted with this for a few hours."

"Will I send word to the village that you are too ill to join Sif and your father?"

Lagertha swore. "No, I better go." She tried to force herself to sit up, but winced in agony as she tried to open her eyes. "Ah!"

"Like Hel you are, lay down." Loki gently got her to lie back down. "I will get you what you require and you will rest." Lagertha ceased to battle him and tried to get warm. "I will send a message for Sif and your father."

"Tell him it is one of the headaches, he'll know what it entails."

"So you get these often?"

"Not exceptionally, but yes, from time to time."

Loki stroked her damp hair. "My poor darling, get some sleep. I will tell him that you shall reschedule your time with one another for later in the week when you are feeling better."

"Thank you Loki." Lagertha sighed as the darkness from the reclosed curtains, and his soft caresses caused her to drift back to sleep.

When Lagertha woke again she felt very hot and as though she was being forced down by something heavy. She soon realised that there were several blankets on top of her. Slowly, she pulled them back and sat up. The sound of a muffled heated conversation in the other room caught her attention and caused her to become curious. Getting to her feet, she walked towards the door.

"Well tell him that she is fine but for an ailment he is supposed to know she is often inflicted with. You saw for yourself she is alive and simply ill, same as most anyone else can become." Loki's voice growled.

"I am merely relaying his concerns and the information I was told to." A woman countered. "She apparently is awake again by afternoon, worn out, hungry and in need of a good freshening, but otherwise, no worse for wear. As soon as she wakes, I will speak with her for a moment, then leave, sending word that all is as you stated."

"Well then speak with her and leave." Loki snarled. "She is awake and is currently on the other side of the door."

Knowing that Loki was aware of her presence, Lagertha opened the door to the front of Loki's rooms. Loki was standing in the far corner, near a book case, looking infuriated, and in front of the fire place, was Lady Sif. "What is going on?" Lagertha asked meekly. She turned to Loki. "Did you not say you were going to send a note?"

"I did." Loki explained before turning to look at Sif again. "Only no one actually believes that you were simply ill."

"I have been getting these headaches since I was young, why would my father not believe the note?"

"As the note was not in your hand, when your father saw me, he asked that I check on you, since I was passing the palace upon my return." Sif replied.

"Of course it was not in my hand, when I get those headaches I cannot even open my eyes, let alone write anything resembling a legible sentence, he knows that. Norn's above." Lagertha shook her head in exasperation. "I need to get washed up, I feel like Hel." She sighed, peeved by her father's attentiveness, which clearly would haunt her adult life as it had he childhood. She knew it was out of love and concern, which she loved her father for, but all the same it could get irritating. Wanting to wash, she walked towards the doors to the hallway.

"Are these not your rooms?" Sif asked in confusion.

"No, these are Loki's?" Lagertha turned to Loki. "Have you not always had these rooms?"

Loki nodded silently, though he had a small smile on his face. Lagertha looked at him for a moment in confusion before turning to Sif, who had a brow raised. "I see." The warrior smiled. Realising that she had basically admitted to sleeping in Loki's rooms with him, Lagertha blushed slightly.

"So now that we have established that Lagertha is exactly as the note stated, can you tell her father that, so we can get on with our day."

"Loki." Loki gave her an irritated look. "I understand that you are insulted by his not trusting your words, but it is not something that will come instantaneously, but over time. He is my father, and he is looking out for me, as Sif stated, he gave instruction for how to care for me after the headache leaves, I assume he did not expect Sif to do it, but you."

Loki's nodded slightly. "You are right, I was annoyed. I understand his concern."

"It does not seem as though King Odin had been a father to give much affection, so you can not understand how some fathers can be."

"Especially concerning daughters." Sif added, her tone indicating that she too suffered a concerned father. "How about you write him now Lagertha, tell him that you are well once more, and that what Loki stated was true, and then I too can as Loki stated 'get on with my day'."

"Good idea." Lagertha agreed, going to where she had left the paper. She wrote of how she had been as ill as Loki stated, how she would be in the village to meet him in two days time, come Hel or Ragnarok and how she would cook him his favourite meal as an apology for missing their afternoon together. When she finished it, she signed it and gave it to Sif.

"I know you probably just wish to submerge yourself in water, however, would you mind if I discussed something with you as I head for the door?" Sif asked as she took the note.

"Sure. I need to go to my rooms to get washed anyway." Lagertha smiled. She turned to Loki for a moment and waved, he in turn nodded and walked toward his bed chambers with only a curt farewell to Sif.

"Sorry I was well enough to meet you earlier." Lagertha stated as they left and went down the hallway.

"Lagertha, do not apologise for being ill." Sif scolded. "Besides, I now get to give Thor the news that Loki is able to walk about again. How long has he been doing that?"

"Only three days." He seems proud of himself, he is slightly ahead of what Eir had anticipated.

"Well I am glad, he is capable of great valiant acts when he decides to. I am just glad this one was not the one to put an end to him."

"You think it will be a valiant act that will be his demise?"

"Yes, he is too smart to do something stupid in the name of mischief."

Lagertha thought over her words for a few moments. "So what is it you wished to discuss?"

"Well I was first going to discuss with you the statement you made to me the day I brought you back here."

"Which one?"

"As regards making your own mistakes."

"You think this a mistake?" Lagertha stopped and watched Sif for her reaction.

"No, I was going to ask how it was going."

"Good."

"Yes, I can see that." Sif smiled wolfishly. "So you sleep in his rooms then?" Lagertha blushed. "Oh please do not act so coy." She laughed.

"Nothing has happened." Lagertha stated defensively.

"That is more interesting. That states you are far more intimate than certain acts can even suggest."

"This is not a conversation I wish to have."

Sif erupted into laughter. "When I see you next Lagertha, it will be all we discuss."

"Then I am avoiding you like you are the plagues of old." Lagertha commented as Sif walked out the door laughing, and she returned to her rooms, desperate to get cleaned up.