Visitation Chapter 23, a thor fanfic

A/N HELLLLLOOOO READERS! How are you? I am SOOOOOOO sorry it has taken me this long to update my story. So much has been going on and I have been sick. But I never forgot about this story or you. I thank you all so much for your favorites, follows and of course your reviews. They mean so much to me, they keep me committed to writing this story til the bitter end. This chapter was def a struggle. Honestly, it wasn't how I saw this chapter going, but this is where the story lead me. Well without further ado I give you chapter 23. Happy reads and writes and God Bless!

The Southern Palace was a beautiful edifice of sparkling white limestone and shimmering silver bricks. With towers and spires that shined like freshly polished pearls. It glowed liked a lighthouse on the ocean waters. In the olden times, before Asgard was a united realm, and had still been ruled by several feuding clans, it had been one of the strongholds of one of the ruling Thanes. Once the realm was united it became the queen's personal estate. The beautiful palace was in Kytheria, a seaside hamlet just as charming as the palace that was there. Kytheria was a popular vacation destination for many wealthy families in Asgard. It was famous for its warm temperatures and white sandy beaches and beautiful jewels. The main occupation for most of the citizens in Kytheria was jewelry making. They were skilled craftsmen that made marvelous ornaments of precious pearls and colorful coral harvested from the cerulean seas that boarded the lovely beach side hamlet. Queen Frigga had many exquisite necklaces, bracelets, rings and even tiaras that were made in Kytheria. The jewels were wonderful souvenirs from the Southern Palace, but the greatest gifts she had ever take from Kytheria were the memories made there with her family.

She and Odin spent a lot of time at the Southern Palace during the early years of their marriage. The pressures of court were exhausting for the newlywed king and queen. There was always a meeting that to attend, always a banquet to prepare, always a delegate to schmooze or entertaining. There seemed to be so little time for the intimacy that a young groom and bride needed in their marriage. Frigga loved being queen and she took her duties as Odin's wife very seriously, she would have never shirked them, but she longed to have time with her husband, alone, away from the prying eyes of gossipy courtiers and stuffy elders. The Southern Palace offered a place of refuge from all that. It was a place where they could simply be man and wife and not king and queen. It was a place where they could just be two youths in love without the burdens and responsibilities of ruling a realm. It was a place where they could walk the white sandy beaches barefoot and holding hands without being followed by an entourage of servants. It was a quiet place where they could have a romantic dinner in their chambers without some general or official demanding Odin's presence over some urgent manner. It was a place where they could simply be together.

The golden queen remembered when Thor was born and the great war with the Frost Giants started and Odin sent her and Thor away to The Southern Palace. She remembered how safe and secure they had felt within the limestone walls sheltered from the realities of the brutal war, where she could concentrate on being a mother to her infant son and not a queen of a warring realm. Later, when wars had ceased, it became their family vacation spot. She remembered her young sons racing toward the shore with their buckets and pails and shovels eager to build sand castles. They'd look for buried treasure and pretend to be brigands and set forth messages in a bottle. There were so many precious memories of the times were her sons were young and the happy days they'd spend in the summer by the seaside, frolicking along the cove, romping in the cool waves, flying kites and sailing boats or riding horses across the dunes. After long hours of fun in the sun they'd walked the cobblestone streets stopping along the shops and sampling seaside delicacies. The thoughts made her smile as she thought of Thor and Loki's faces covered with powder from fried dough cakes. The queen let out a pent-up sigh as her heart sank deep within her chest. She wished that her journey to the Southern Palace was for such things as a pleasant family trip or a honeymoon getaway, but alas this journey was filled with fear and dread and doubt.

It took Queen Frigga and her retinue two days to reach the Southern Palace. The Southern Palace was normally only a day's journey from the Imperial City, but because the queen and her entourage took the back roads it took longer. The back roads were harder to travel. The paths weren't so well-worn, making the terrain harder for the horses and carriages to cross. Since the paths weren't taken often and there were no rest stops or taverns or inns for the queen and her nobles to refresh themselves in during the trip. The back roads were notorious for highwaymen and robbers. Many of the advisers and officials that traveled with her felt that it was too risky to leave the great king exposed and vulnerable on the highway. It wasn't that Frigga doubted the sincerity of the nobles in their concern for their king, but she knew most of the their nervousness was for themselves, their families and of course their jewelry and clothing. Queen Frigga assured the courtiers that they had nothing to fear. They were heavily armed as they traveled. Thor insisted that she traveled with her guard, 15 strong and capable warriors, dressed in bronzed breastplates, each one of them at least 6 feet tall. They were imposing figures and she trusted her guard with her life and any robber who dare threaten their caravan would be in for a literal run for their money when their noses met with the tip of one of the swords of her guard. They'd be very sorry for even if they did manage to overtake the queen's men, which was a laughable thought indeed, there was no getting pass the Valkyrie. The fearsome shield-maidens dedicated their entire lives to the art of war. Female warriors from all across the realms and from every walk of life came to serve and study as Valkyries and to prove themselves valiant. They were the type to shoot their arrows first and ask questions later.

Despite the fears and grumbles of the courtiers and despite the warnings of her advisers and guards Queen Frigga insisted that they stick to the back roads. She didn't want their caravan to be seen. It would cause alarm for people to see the nobles fleeing from the city. The citizens were jumpy, worried, frightened and filled with anger and sorrow as it was. To know that even the royals and nobles were taking refuge elsewhere would incite panic. Also taking the main roads could alert the people of Asgard to the fact that Odin had fallen into the Oversleep. Odin's comatose state had not been made public knowledge for a reason, such knowledge would have been awful for morale, it would have left all the Aesir broken and defeated and feeling completely vulnerable as Convergence drew closer. No. It was imperative that it be kept secret. The people needed to believe that the King of Asgard was safe and strong. Even more so for the all-father's own safety. There was no telling what type of intelligence the Dark-Elves were able to gather. Frigga feared for her husband's life if he stayed at the Imperial Palace.

Once they arrived at the shiny, white limestone castle, they were greeted with much fanfare. The staff of the Southern Palace spared no expense in attending to the queen and her guests. The servants prepared a lavished banquet for the weary travelers filled with all manner of scrumptious delicacies of suckling boar and roasted potatoes, sugared dates. They had the rooms ready to suit the needs of each noble family with enough beds, towels and chambermaids. They even provided entertainment to lift the spirits of the exhausted and fearful members of court. The jugglers and jesters did their best to lighten the hearts of the courtiers during dinner, but even admist the jokes and dances performed, there was an anxiety an unstated sense of dread among the servants. The attack of the Dark Elves had shattered the hearts of each and every citizen of Asgard. Fear was in the air and no one knew what to expect. The fear of an imminent attack hung over the heads of all like a heavy and oppressive cloak. No amount of jesting and revelry could calm the unspoken terror that Ragnarök was snarling at their door.

After the dinner and the entertainment had finished, most of the noblemen and noblewomen retired for the evening. They were eager to get to the opulent rooms with the cashmere rugs and silk blankets and upholstered couches with legs made of solid gold and to lounge in ivory plated tubs filled with luscious bubbles after two rough days of travel in carriages.

Queen Frigga and her husband had the grandest chamber set up for them. The healers, butlers and maids settled the great King of Asgard into a sleeping chamber so that he could be comfortable during his Oversleep. They bathed him in healing ointments an herbs. They carefully dried him off and cloaked him in his ceremonial robes that he was supposed to wear during the Oversleep. They had to do all of this quickly, it was not good for the all-father to be out from underneath a protective energy barrier for too long during his incapacitated state. They set up an energy shield around his bed to insulate him from dispelling energy and to sustain his breathing, heart-rate. They chanted ancient healing mantras. They rubbed lotions and potions over the king's body trying to keep his temperature from falling to low or spiking to high. They used the mystic healing water and bent it over his body trying to invigorate his body once more. They gave him special tonics to drink hoping to arouse the king, but truly there was little that the healers could do. The Oversleep had to run its course and the healers were fearing that this could be the final course it would run.

Healer Onrac walked around the king's bedside scanning and taking measurements of King Odin's vitals with his tablets and devices. "My queen," Healer Onrac began as he moved his instrument across Odin's creased brow. It beat to a certain rhythm which caused the lead healer to frown. "It has been a hard two days," he began to explain, "as your physician I must recommend that you retire," he explained coming over and touching her shoulder gently. The master healer's words barely registered in the queen's ear. Her sapphire pupils looked on Odin as she study his unsteady breathing and creased brow. She'd never seen him look so ill-at-ease during the Oversleep.

Onrac's gentle touch made the queen look up at him. She found Onrac smiling gently down at her, she returned a weary smile. It pained the medicine man to see his queen looking so waned. The travel across the rocky terrain had no doubt been difficult on her. He had noticed that she hadn't eaten much during the elaborate feast that the staff of the Southern Palace had prepared. As the queen's personal physician he was of course concerned about her health, but what could he say, he could only imagine the turmoil the queen must in over all that had happened. Seeing so many of the children of Asgard die at the hands of an unforeseen enemy, seeing her husband weakening under the effects of Oversleep. Onrac knew what an effect it all had on him. He was exhausted himself. "A healer must be the first partaker of his own advice," the queen stated with a small grin on her worried face.

"Wise words, my Queen" Onrac chuckled. "I was just about to dismiss the other healers," he stated he smiled and clapped his hands together. "Ladies, you have done all you can for tonight, take your leave," he instructed. "You need rest," he admonished his fellow healers. The young healing assistants bowed as the exited from the presence of the king and queen. The queen bid the healers goodnight, she wished them peaceful slumbers and thanked them for their work. Onrac only gave them approving nods as they exited the chamber. "Now my queen, will you rest?' He prompted once more.

Frigga allowed her rose-colored lips to purse in a playful sort of expression, but it was not a smile. Her heart was far too burdened with worry to truly form a grin. She wagged a chiding finger at her old friend Healer Onrac. He had been the leading healer in the palace for many centuries now. He had overseen her and her boys and even Odin many a time when they'd become ill, she knew him well enough to know when he was becoming pensive. Onrac never liked to be the bearer of bad news. "I cannot rest, Master Healer while I see that look on your face as you tend to my husband," she reminded him. Onrac pursed his lips ready to offer a protest. The wife of Odin raised her regal hand silence the medicine man. "Please Onrac," The queen started, she leaned over the gray-bearded king's bead and reached her beautiful hand through the glittering, golden shield that protected her beloved during this vulnerable time. She gave Odin's leathery fingers a squeeze. Seeing, him so pitiful and still pained her heart like nothing else. "I am queen and I need know of my king's condition," she said matter-a-factly as she looked up at the white-haired man with the caramel colored skin. Her eyes shined with tears yet shed.

Onrac's brown eyes were unable to bear the imploring sapphire eyed gaze of Asgard most beloved queen. He turned from her, he dropped his head and scratched under his chin, nervously. He cleared his throat, reluctant to speak the words that he knew needed to be spoken. He faced the wall as he started to speak to queen Frigga and he clasped his hands loosely behind his back. "the all-father is weakening, majesty," he confessed. "Doubtless it was the journey majesty, two days travel during the Oversleep without proper equipment," Onrac started to shake his head. "Cursed it all!' the healer swore raising his voice slightly. "I knew we should have taken the quicker route. We could have gotten here earlier! The all-father would have been able to rest properly and he could have been overseen, kept in a cool and comfortable environment, we could have had more protective fairy dust for the energy shield!" he protested angrily as he gritted his teeth together and clenched his fist. For the first time since the queen had arrived at the Southern palace she left her husband's side and approached Onrac from behind. Onrac felt the queen's delicate and smooth hand cup his heaving shoulder. "Forgive me your highness," he begged. "It is just that I cannot help, but feel responsible for what has happened. For the king to weaken under my watch," he clenched his head. His fingers clutched at his woolly hair as if he intended to rip it out. "You trusted me, Mistress Eir trusted me, Prince Thor trusted me! I have failed you all," the healer stated and sank to his knees. He bowed his head low to the ground pleading at the lovely royal woman's feet for forgiveness.

Queen Frigga dipped to her knees with the grace and ease befitting a woman of her station she gently touched her hand to Onrac's back. "Come Onrac, you mustn't blame yourself," she insisted.

"How can I not your majesty?" he asked as he shook his head vigorously. He did not wish to shed tear in front of the great queen. "I...I knew that my lord's condition was severe. I knew that it was imperative that we arrive at the Southern Palace sooner than later...I...I...I should have pushed for the Captain of the Guard to take the main roads so we could have arrived here quicker, the ride also would have been easier on the king's body. Those bumpy and hilly paths were no good for him in this state. His energy readings are so low majesty, yet his heart is pounding furiously in his chest. Oversleep is suppose to grant the all-father rest..." Onrac rambled.

"Onrac, tis not your fault," the queen urged for him to believe. "It was a safety measure that my captain chose to take and I approved of it. For I knew that Odin would want it that way. He would not have wanted any of the people to see him in such a state. Not at this time when the confidence of our people is already shattered. Not after Asgard has already seen the first attack on her soils in over 5000 years. No. It would ruin the people to think that the attack was so grave that now even the all-father's life hangs in the balance. They would think that Ragnarök was crouching at the door. Odin would never want that," she assured him. "Besides," the queen muttered as she slowly started to rise to her feet. The train of her white gown flowed behind her as she walked back to Odin. "I do not believe that all the symptoms you describe come from merely physical duress. Who knows what he gazes upon in his sleep. Perhaps he does see...The end of time," she whispered as her body shuddered. She let out a sob and covered her mouth before rushing to Odin, her hand outstretched, eager to take hold of his once more.

Onrac nodded as he watched the queen cling to the great king. He let out a pint up sigh and composed himself. He dusted his tunics as he rose to his feet. "Whatever he sees must weigh greatly on his heart," he admitted.

Frigga did her best to show a watery smile, "he is called the all-father, and to him all of Asgard is his child, thinking of its pain, it breaks his heart...it is too much for him to bear," she explained.

"Perhaps we should send for Mistress Eir, your majesty," the healer cautioned as he approached the king's side as well. He picked up his scanning device and glanced over it with sorrowful brown eyes. "His energy readings continue to drop and his heart can endure little more of this frenzied beating. Nothing that I or my healing staff has done has seemed to settle him," he expressed. "Asgard cannot lose her all-father, not now!" the caramel skinned healer insisted. "Not at this crucial hour! Not this close to Convergence! If we were to lose our king...surely would mean all hope would be lost! Ragnarok would begin!"

The queen shook her head. "No do not send for Eir," the queen stated, her voice was low and humble.

"But Majesty!" Onrac protested. "The King!"

"The king would want Mistress Eir to remain in the Imperial City where she can tend to those soldiers wounded in the heat of battle. Odin would never put the lives of the people at risk to save himself," the queen revealed. "We must not lose hope for Thor that they will prevail, there is still a chance!" the Frigga reassured the Healer Onrac.

"Convergence is merely 3 days from now, my queen," Healer Onrac protested and we haven't heard from my lord, Prince Thor...perhaps," he started.

"Master Healer," the queen addressed the him, "You have done all you can for my husband for tonight, please now you must get some sleep," the golden queen prompted.

"Very well, milady," the healer stated solemnly as he bowed to the royal woman before he exited.

Frigga sat in silence with Odin for a few moments. She studied him. She observed the deep furrowed in his tanned brow, his hands were clammy and his body shook slightly. Frigga started to hum a slow and gentle soothing lullaby. It was a song she often sung to her children when they were boys in fitful sleep as she looked at Odin she felt like she was looking at the face of a child. His expression was contorted and wounded looking. His handsome featured were pressed into a scowl. His breathing was quick and shallow. Beads of perspiration gathered at his gray temples and now and then he would let out a tiny, hoarse moan. Hearing her husband, the great king of Asgard and the defender of all the Nine Realms moaning and whimpering like a wounded kitten made her heart crumple. She could hold back her tears no longer. In the quiet and privacy of their bedroom chamber she was able to she allowed the floodgates to open. It started out as trickle of silent, misty tears slowly rolling down her rosy cheeks, then somehow it grew into a cascading waterfall of free-flowing salt tears. Before long she was heaving into gasping sobs, viciously trying to swipe the tears away from her sapphire eyes. For so many days now she'd had to be strong and brave a pillar of cool and dignity, for the fearful citizens of Asgard who thought that this was the end of the aged . She'd had to be strong for Thor who was so greatly burdened with the responsibility of protecting the realms from the impending apocalypse. She needed his strength and reassurance that he would prevail, she could not give into her own fears and worries. She had to be strong for Loki, who was so beside himself with grief and anguish and guilt that he scarcely knew what to do. She had to be there for him telling him that she still saw the goodness in him and that despite all his crimes she knew he was still the son she loved with all her heart. She had to be strong for Odin, who was weak and vulnerable at the moment do to know fault of his own. He was mightier warrior king husband and yet now he was defenseless, but for this one solitary moment she had a chance release her own anxiety

The hot tears rain down her face like rain running down the rafters of the buttresses of the palace. She let herself heave sobs and gasps for a little while. With each trembling sob she clutched Odin's hand tighter and tighter. She found herself weeping harder and harder and doubling over as the pain in her heart manifest into physical anguish. She allowed her body to bend over into the glittering shield that protected Odin in his deep slumber. In an instant she was leaning on Odin's chest sobbing and looking for support from her sturdy and capable husband. She heard Odin's pounding heart thrumming in her ear. She managed to start humming once again and then she raised her voice actually singing the words of the song. It was a song about beauty of the seasons and the beauty of Asgard. The peaceful tune and gentle words soothed her soul and as she settled herself and her own sobbing started to quiet she was able to hear that Odin had stopped moaning. "Can you hear me, Odin, my love?" the queen asked as she clutched Odin's hand. "You said before that hearing my voice during the Oversleep gave you comfort," she posed and smiled down at him as if she expected him to respond. She found when she found him motionless. "You mustn't give up," Queen Frigga insisted as her right hand caressed the king's weathered and grey-whiskered face while her left hand swiped away the moisture that still lingered on her long, blonde eyelashes. "You just mustn't," she insisted as she sniffled. "I I know not what you see in your slumber..." she whispered in his ear. "I wish I did... then perhaps you would not have to bear so great a burden alone. " she chided him mildly. "But you have always been so protective always keeping secrets trying to protect me," she reminisced her sapphire eyes still dampened with tears as her gentle tanned hands traced circles along the sides of Odin's wrinkled cheek. "I wish I could see some of what you see now so that it did not have to weigh down so heavily on your heart, but no matter how terrible these visions are, you mustn't despair," the golden queen urged."You must believe! You have to hold out hope...that our sons will prevail," she pressed taking the sleeping king's hand and squeezing it firmly. The queen nodded to herself, her cheek rubbing against Odin's smooth feeling velvet robe. "This mission is dangerous but Thor is strong and capable, he is a good leader and you know that he never gives up. He will fight to save us all to his last breath. He's taken 50 of our finest Einherjar, those men are willing to lay down their lives to avenge Asgard, you know that there is nothing that those troops with a mission cannot overcome. And Loki is with him," the blonde-haired queen confessed. "I know that you do not approve," she added quickly. "I know that you do not believe in Loki anymore," Frigga let out a sigh that was somewhat frustrated. "But I do," she stated firmly. "There is good in him, Odin," she tried to assure the all-father who was lost in Oversleep. "He is confused and misguided, he is hurt and scared, he is lost, I admit he is lost, but perhaps now finally our son can find the path home. Thor wanted Loki to come along... he knew he needed him, and I knew it too. The Bifrost is shut down and Loki is the only one who could get them off of Asgard without the Bifrost. Loki is crafty and powerful, I know that together he and Thor can overcome this foe. I have faith in them. I believe. Some say that this is the end. The day we have all feared. Ragnarök. And in these perilous times... after all that has happened who could honestly think differently. Convergence is only days away all hope seems lost, but I won't believe it...not until the end. But you have to be strong. You have to hold on so that you can see, you can see the victory so that you can see your sons beating the odds... and see the grand celebration that Asgard shall have on that day. It shall be a day to be celebrated for all the generations to come!" Frigga exclaimed he eyes welling with hopefulness. "You cannot leave me Odin," she whispered as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Please don't leave me!" she whimpered her soft pink lips trembling above his brow. "For that would truly be Ragnorok," she confessed.

Sigyn arrived at Lord Theoic's estate in the Dales the following day. She'd wanted return to the Imperial City with the scroll that Lady Jane had given her addressed to Lady Dagmar. She had every intention doing so. Last night she'd been readying her bag and she was going to go and ask the innkeepers if they had a map and then she was just going to sneak away. But she hadn't been able to leave the night when she'd rediscovered the letter. Out of nowhere a terrible storm came and raged that night. It had been a cold, torrential downpour, with lightening that flashed furious and illuminated the darkness and thunder boomed so loudly and terribly that it rattled the windowpane. She'd watched with horror as raindrops the size of diamonds beats down against the windowpane of the room she and Theoic were sharing at the Briar Patch Inn. The thunder roared and raged and carried on like an angry lion in the night. The wind howled boisterously outside the inn and it shook the tree. Sigyn actually felt frightened as she felt the tree pitch. The storm seemed as if it was going to blow the poor Briar Patch Inn to the ground. She looked at the tempest that raged outside her window and despaired as she clutched the scroll to her heart. There was no way she could ever ride out in such a monstrous storm. That morning she'd dare not mention anything about returning to the Imperial City to Theoic. He made it very clear that night when they were having dinner at the Briar Patch Inn that he had no intention of even having the subject broached in conversation. He'd yelled at her. She didn't want to anger him. She honestly didn't want to anger or displease anyone. Theoic was to be her husband, in a few short days...it was not befitting for a marriage to start o a sour note.

So quietly, submissively, she continued with Theoic to his home in the Dales. Lord Theoic owned a very large plantation. Sigyn was amazed by sheer size of it. It was a sprawling estate with rolling hills and acres and acres of farmland. Theoic's lands were beautiful, there was a sort of quaint charm to the estate. She'd never seen his home before, but he'd often boasted about his family estate. Sometimes when they'd meet in court he'd tell her how she would love it out there in the Dales will the fresh air and wide open countryside full of fragrant wild flowers. She would giggle and tease saying that maybe she would come to visit him, but she never thought that she would actually like the quiet charm of the Dales. But once she arrived at Theoic's villa she had to admit it lived up to the reputation that the landowner had given his estate.

Theoic's family home was called Kelby, which in the Old Norse meant "Place by the fountain." Theoic's land had several springs on it. It was one of the reasons why Lord Theoic was one of the most successful plantation owners in the Dales. His land had a built-in irrigation system making it fertile and flourishing.

Kelby Manor, was a large, but rustic looking villa. It was made of mostly wood and stone. Theoic explained how the home had been built by his ancestors long ago. It had been in his family for more than 13 generations. It was not as elaborate as the decadent mansions in the Imperial City where some nobles had the walls of their homes made of sandalwood and overlaid in sterling silver. Still, with smoke coming from the chimney the house looked warm and friendly and inviting. She had been riding for hours and was sure sore in the saddle, she wanted a good bath and a warm bed. It was only a little past supper time, but Theoic was insistent that his new bride to be see the grounds of her new home right away. He had the servants take her bags and trunks to her chamber while he rode her through the estate.

Lord Theoic took Lady Sigyn to the apple orchard. The trees were in full bloom, ripe with fruit. The leaves on the trees were the gorgeous colors of the harvest season. When they arrived at the orchard the farmhands were busy picking and plucking the apples off of the beautiful tree tops. The workers seemed jolly, they sang and hummed as they harvested the fresh apples clean off the trees. Some were picking, others were washing off the fruit, while some sorted them according to color and size. Others were juicing the apples to turn them into a sweet and spicy cider just right for the fall. When Theoic and Sigyn rode up on the busy and bustling workers they all greeted them as if they were the royal family. They rushed toward the horse that Theoic and Sigyn were riding upon shouting and cheering and welcoming the master of Kelby and his bride-to-be home. The orchard workers were eager to shake Sigyn's hand and offer her gifts. One maiden carried a bushel of apples in her white apron, she rushed over to Theoic and Sigyn who rode in a small open cart pulled by a brown mule and offered them some of the first fruits all the day.

They moved on, the dark-haired man of the Dales showed her his barn yards where he raised he raised his prized stallions. He also showed the blonde-haired daughter of Admiral Arn the pastures where he had a few big strapping bulls and a few milking cows. Sigyn had always liked animals and she was impressed by the number of mares and thorough-bred stallions that Theoic had bred. Later he strolled her through his fields of crops. Theoic grew many crops (wheat, cotton, corn) and needed many attendants and workers to manage his land. Some were indentured servants who were from other realms and had been sold to work off their debts, other's were tenant migrant farmers who moved from plantation to plantation working the land for next to nothing. Most wanted to be paid with a decent meal. Theoic tolerate nothing less than the best from any of his servants and they kept his fields tilled and kempt looking as they worked from dawn til dusk.

Lord Theoic also had and impressive vineyard. The grapes were almost as big as plums. As they walked through the vineyard he picked a few grapes off the vines and playfully plopped them in her mouth. As she tasted the fruit of the vine and she could only imagine the delicious wine that would come from such succulent grapes. Her curiosity led him to take her to his wine cellar. In the wine cellar she observed the strangest thing the attendants were doing a peculiar dance inside big wooden barrels and steel tubs. The servants were lifting up their legs up high as they could and then thrust their legs back down dancing around and around in circles inside the barrel of grapes. They had their hands on their hips and they would call and chant to the sound of something squishy sloshing underneath their feet. Every now and again one of the maidens would kick up their leg and expose a horrendously dirty foot covered with purple liquid. Lady Sigyn scratched her blonde head as she watched curiously at the spectacle. It seemed like fun actually. She wondered if this was some type of fun dance that the country folk did after a long day. They were stomping and dancing around with smiles on their faces. They dosey-doed and linked arms and spun around as they continued to sing and mash the plump grapes beneath their bare feet. It seemed such a waste of good grapes. Those grapes surely could have been good for eating or turning into jam or good for making wine. She was surprised that Lord Theoic allowed his vineyard attendants to waste his crop. Even if it was all in good fun, Theoic was far to frugal she thought to lose a cent on the amusement of his servants.

"Sigyn, here try this," Theoic beckoned as he walked over to her with a glass of wine.

"Mmmm," Lady Sigyn sighed after indulging in a decadent sip. It had just the right combination of tart and sweet. "it's delicious!" she squealed.

" Theoic," Sigyn posed as her bright gold eyes continued to look curiously at the servants who were playing in the grapes like children, "What are they doing?' she inquired as she pointed to the men who were stomping in a mushy mess of grape jelly.

"They are pressing the grapes, Sigyn" Theoic explained simply.

"Pressing them?" Sigyn asked as she touched her index finger to her glossy pink lip as she looked on at the process with childlike inquiry at the process. "Well why would they be press them?" Young Sigyn asked with a bubbly, girlish giggle as she watched the women hike up their skirts and raise their knees as they pounded the grapes with their bare feet.

"To turn it into wine, of course," explained a distinctly, country accented female voice coming from around the back of the barn.

"To make wine!" the golden-locked city dweller gasped in horror. She had never truly considered how wine was made. She was most concerned with the vintage of the wine and how expensive it was when it was on her table. She was concerned with the rich smell and of course making herself look more cultured and sophisticated as she drank it, but she never thought of how the wine came to be. The knew realization made Sigyn gag. She nearly spit the wine back out. Oh it seemed disgusting! How could she had ever drank anything that was made by being stepped on by farm hands dirty feet. Ugh, she could feel her stomach turn as if she wanted to vomit. Most of the time the farm workers didn't even where shoes, they just traipsed through the mud and grime and manure with their bare feet. She was drinking their feet. Sigyn spew the wine out of her mouth with horror choking and gagging as she did so.

After composing herself, Sigyn turned to see the woman who possessed the voice. She was a tall woman, nearly statuesque, she had a strong build and almost imposing. She was a distinguished looking woman, with a full-figure (big busted and broad-shouldered). She held her head high, she had an air of refinement. Her nose was, large and she possessed a strong, square jaw line. She had a beautiful chestnut coloring. That was so flawless it made the delicate wrinkles in her skin look like waves in a chocolate cake batter. She had a lovely mane of tightly curled salt and pepper hair, that she had tamed by weaving it into an intricate bun covered by a pretty pearl wimple. Her lips were full painted with a soft plum-colored. Her eyes were small and squinty like two black olives. But somehow all together her peculiar blend of features worked for her. It showed the depth of her heritage. She wasn't all Asgardian, she was half Nornish. But altogether she wasn't an unattractive woman. In fact she was a handsome woman. She was distinguished and certainly regal, despite the fact that her clothes were fairly simple in coloring and design. She was merely wearing a plaid, brown and burnt orange frock, with golden laced cuffs on the sleeves and neckline. Sigyn wouldn't have been caught dead wearing such an outfit. Plaid was far from trendy in the major cities of Asgard, but she supposed the simple dress suited a middle-aged farm-woman.

"Tyra!" Theoic gasped somewhat aghast at the sight of the pretty woman wearing plaid.

"Yes," she said calmly a small smile spreading across her face as she opened her arms. "Welcome home my husband," she greeted walking up to Theoic and Sigyn. The tall woman seemed to float across the barn floor and waft into Lord Theoic's arms. Her arms were elegantly outstretched before him. They embraced, although they didn't pull each other into a tight hug. It was composed and seemed rather rehearsed. Not the top of spontaneous burst of joy that should be shown between husband and wife when they are being reunited for the first time in a long put her hands to Theoic's shoulders and he placed his hands gently along her waist and they kissed each others cheeks. Lady Tyra managed to initiate a kiss. It was quick and chaste; just enough to show that they were more than relatives. Theoic curled up his lips once the kiss ended.

Tyra turned her head out of the quick and awkward peck that she and Theoic shared to allow her beady, little, black olive eyes to glance at Lady Sigyn. She noted her. She was the complete opposite of her: tall, with big, bright amber eyes and soft small, delicate, pink lips that looked like they were always glossed and puckered ready for kissing. She had a petite, button nose and long, flowing, curly, golden locks. She was slender, yet not with pleasingly proportioned curves in the places men liked, like her chest and buttocks. She was frail looking, if Tyra had her say. She didn't look like a woman who had worked a day in her life. She certainly didn't seem like a farmer's wife she was far to fair and delicate and from the vapid look in her eyes far too empty-headed to ever understand the seriousness of keeping an estate like Kelby. That being said the young woman was a vision and it was easy to see why a man like Theoic would long for her charms. Tyra had never been to court, but she'd heard that Lady Sigyn had at one time been a hot commodity in the court of Odin. She could now see why.

Tyra did not look at Sigyn long, but in the few seconds that Tyra held her glance, Sigyn could feel Lady Tyra's beady, dark eyes scrutinizing her. Purple painted lips formed a frown that emphasized the wrinkles around her mouth. Sigyn, shrank back a little. Was this what being a second wife was meant to be like? Was she meant to feel awkward and out-of-place. She wanted to avert her eyes or to leave the barn, but she didn't feel at liberty to. "Tyra?" Theoic asked the expression on his handsome face was still somewhat baffled and shocked. "W-what are you doing here?" he demanded.

Tyra's lips arched once more into a scowl. This time somewhat deeper than when she had just been given Sigyn the once over. She rolled her eyes after doing so, "I do live here, Theoic," she reminded him, her southern voice curt as she pointed regally to herself and placed her hand on her hip while pursing her lips. "Or have you forgotten, already?" she asked as she gave a nod toward Sigyn. Sigyn scooted back behind Theoic after hearing the remark.

"Yes," Theoic said shaking his head,

"Yes!" Tyra fumed. "Yes! You have forgotten me because of this...this...this..." she shook her finger like an angry mother scolding a continuously disobedient child.

"No... that is not what I meant," Theoic quickly corrected himself as he grabbed his head. Tyra was often a fussy and argumentative type of woman, it didn't take much to get her riled up and ready to quarrel.

"Oh," she paused waiting for him to say something else that she could use as verbal ammunition against him. She cocked her head to the side switched her hands to her hips, her fighting stance.

"You're supposed to be visiting your uncle and aunt in Nornheim," he whispered pointedly as he stepped forward a bit and gripped her around her wrist.

"Yes," Tyra began slowly, as she twisted free of the strong hold of his thick, masculine hands. Her lip curled in a snarl. Her beady, black eyes narrowing. "And I had every intention of going to Nornheim." she began as she sauntered around him, her brown hand on his chest. She did her best to twist and twirl enticingly, but she could see that her feminine charms had little effect on Theoic in front of the pretty, young, blonde. She yawned as she positioned herself directly in front of Lady Sigyn, doing her best with her broad shoulders and towering stature to block Sigyn from Theoic's view. "I actually prefer to be in Nornheim this time of year," the chestnut colored, wife of Theoic began as she pulled a kerchief from her checkered pocket and dabbed it at her broad nose. She let out a sneeze, that seemed a bit small. "You know how bad my hay fever is," she expressed as she fanned her hand over her nostrils. Then she gave a tiny sneeze "But how would you propose I get to Nornhiem?" Tyra asked snappily she turned back around the face Theoic with her hands on her hips. "The Bifrost is closed! No one can leave the realm!" she shouted indignantly. Her yelling startled the servants who were busy pressing grapes as well as Lady Sigyn. She must have noticed that the servants had stopped working on to stare at her. She quickly gained composure and spoke in a more ladylike tone once more, "I am surprised you were able to leave the Imperial City!" she pointed out and turned her back to him crossing her arms. "I would think that you would be happy that I had stayed behind. With all that is happening you would think a man would want his wife close to home during such terrible times. I thought you would be concerned for my safety," she retorted only slightly turning around only to give Theoic a slight glare. "I was concerned for you, Theoic," Tyra stated harshly.

Theoic heaved and exasperated sigh. He slowly approached his wife and placed his firm hands on her shoulder. "I am happy that you are safe, Tyra," the burly mane with ringlets of brunette curls admitted with an exasperated sigh. "It is just that I was not expecting you to be here. I was planning for Sigyn and I to have some alone time," he expressed as he nudged his head toward the blonde-haired maiden standing timidly behind him.

"Why, yes, I'm sure," Tyra nose lifted as her eyes darted down to look at Lady Sigyn. "You two need your time to romp," Lady Tyra rolled her "r" "and roll," she sneered. "Don't worry I intend to give you two space," Tyra replied with a flippant gesture.

"We are to be wed in just a few short days..." he explained her turned to look at Sigyn, there was affection housed in his deep brown eyes for the fair-haired woman before him. Her stroked her cheek and arm and a large lustful smile rippled across his face as he took her in. He couldn't wait to be wed.

"Wed!" the olive eyed Lady of Kelby turned around and curled her lip at her husband for his world.. "WED!" she shrieked once more. "Theoic you can't be serious!" she protested throwing up her hands. "After all that has happened. The Dark Elves attacking! You barely making it out of the Imperial City with your lives! Convergence just days away! You are actually still planning on going through with a wedding!" she squealed.

"Theoic please!" Sigyn finally called out his tanned hands grabbing at her golden locks. "Please," she panted as she ripped her fingers from her curls. "Lady Tyra is absolutely right," she began. "This...This is no time and place for a wedding," she expressed taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "In all honestly I wouldn't even feel right having a wedding at a time like this. Not after so many have died, not when all of Asgard is on high alert... not when just days ago so many have died. I...I...the day of the attack was surely the worse day of my life," she expressed. "It...it wouldn't feel right to celebrate so closely after this great tragedy," Sigyn shook her head.

"At least this young..." Tyra paused trying to think of a word to describe Lady Sigyn. She wiggled her fingers as the wheels turned in her head. The words that were coming to Lady Tyra's mind were certainly less than flattering. Words like floozie, harlot, whore. "Chippie..." she substituted, "has some sense of propriety," she expressed. "This is no time to be planning weddings. Actually, just two days before you arrived a few of the men from the magistrate came around asking for men to go to the Imperial City to help prepare for the second attack that they are expecting," Tyra explained. "I only figured that you would be grabbing your sword and gearing up and going with some of the men."

"Oh yes, Theoic you should!" Sigyn spoke up she clasped her warm colored hands together and tucked them toward her chin. "You should! You should! You should!" she continued to squeal like an energetic child. "Oh Theoic wouldn't it be marvelous you and so many other men from the Dales defending Asgard," she insisted. "And I could go!" Sigyn exclaimed happily as the idea flooded through her brain. "I...I could return to the Imperial City with you... you could fight along with the reserves and I could give the scroll..." she thought aloud.

All of a sudden Theoic was feeling heated. "Now that's enough! Both of you!" he yelled at the two women in his life. "I left to escape the onslaught! That palace was nothing but a Colosseum of blood and gore some bodies completely evaporated by those terrible weapons. Asgard can't fight against that type of power. No matter how many Einherjar they assemble!" he shook his head breathlessly as he thought about jumping into battle.

"Theoic, I only meant..." Lady Tyra started.

"I know exactly what you meant! The brown-eyed landowner snapped. "You all think that I should return to the Imperial City to risk life and limb! Think that would be noble of me? Is that what you want my death. You and I are not yet even wed and you want me to come to back to you missing an eye, a limb or in a wooden box" he asked bitterly.

"Theoic please... I wasn't trying to suggest that you...you should risk your life...I...I wasn't trying to send you off alone...I would go with you," Sigyn mumbled. "We all have are part to play...we can all do something to help...I...I want to go back and help...I...I could go with you..." Sigyn continued. "I'd be by your side as your bride," Sigyn expressed humbly she reached out her hand to grab his, but he pulled it away looking at her with disbelief in his eyes. He almost felt ashamed. How was this woman, ready and willing to go into the fray , jump into the heat of battle and he wasn't. It was downright emasculating, her bravery and his cowardice, but alas he reminded himself that Sigyn, beautiful creature that she was, was a mere simpleton. And the simpletons were always brave, just like children who jumped into lakes when they didn't know how to swim.

"Go with me?" Lord Theoic's brown mustache curled along with his lip. "Go with me?" he asked indignantly. "No one is going anywhere, Sigyn you and I are to be wed in a few days time," Theoic stated firmly. The blonde locked once lady-in-waiting to Queen Frigga jumped back at the firmness of his tone. It made her feel like she was being scolded by an old schoolmaster.

"But...but...but," Sigyn started to stammer her amber eyes were glancing at his boots and she was nervously fiddling with his fingers. "in a few days time it'll be Convergence,' Sigyn whispered her rebuttal, she dropped her golden-eyed gaze, she felt like a child naughty and silly for contradicting her parents.

"All the more reason for us to be married promptly," Theoic responded assuredly with a staunch nod. He looked Lady Sigyn square in the eye. His gaze was unrelenting, and it silenced the words of protest that were forming on her lips "I am going to go and write the letter, right now to my good friend, Magistrate Hans, he shall come to perform the ceremony," Theoic proclaimed as he pointed his solid, masculine finger in Sigyn's face. Magistrate Hans was a low ranking court official who presided over the courts in the Dales. "If I send out the letter today perhaps he will be able to arrive at Kelby to do the ceremony by tomorrow night," Theoic explained more so to himself than to Sigyn.

"Tomorrow night?" Sigyn mumbled nervously to herself. That would never do. If Magistrate Hans came so soon and legally wed them, then Sigyn wouldn't have a chance of getting back to the Imperial City. She would be Lord Theoic's wife. She wouldn't be able to disobey her husband...well not without dangerous consequences. He could have her flogged for such disobedience, he could even have her put away. She'd already been shunned by her own family, spurned by Loki, if she displeased Theoic...well she would have no chances of ever falling in the good graces of a man again. Theoic turned on his heels and started to head out of the barn door. He had a determined stride. "But...but...but," the amber eyed wife-to-be managed to speak up in a quiet voice, "if...if...Convergence comes upon us...if the Dark Elves win," she muttered. "I...I don't think we shall have much of a future as a couple," her voice was so low that it was unheard by Lord Theoic.

Lord Theoic turned around and looked at Sigyn. There was a stern gaze in his chocolate eyes, but they soften at seeing Sigyn's nearly innocent expression. Her eyes were so pretty, round and big and that small grin that formed on her soft, petite, pink lips melted his clenched jaw. He sighed. "Tyra please see to it that you show Lady Sigyn more of our home and help her get settled before dinner," responded with slight disinterest as he waved his hand toward his wife.

"Me?" Tyra squealed her nose crinkling with the very thought as she pointed to herself. "What! No! No!" Tyra waved her hands in front of her face. "Theoic I have duties to attend to, especially if plan on conducting a wedding," she pointed out huffily she blew breath out the side of her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wedding!" Theoic raised his voice in a scoff. He let out a long and loud chuckle. He nearly doubled over from laughing so hard. "Good heavens there shall be no wedding!" he flagged off the statement. Sigyn's eyes flickers as she heard his words. He seemed to make a mockery of the very thought. "I spent enough when I married you," Lord Theoic went on. He said the words low, but not low enough so that they wouldn't be heard. Lady Sigyn felt her stomach twist in knots. She felt a slight pang enter her heart. She dropped her head only because she slightly felt like crying. She wouldn't allow herself to cry in front of Lord Theoic and his wife, Tyra, but she sure felt like it. She rubbed her hands under her nose and eyes quickly trying to dispel any excess moisture that might be leaking from her honey colored pupils. Since she was a little girl, all she had ever dreamed of was having a beautiful wedding day. She remembered sitting up with Rana late at night swinging their legs over the bed as little girls and talking of the things they wanted for their wedding day.

She dreamed it all so vividly once: Standing before a golden altar decorated with beautiful flowers. She'd be wearing an expensive and breathtaking gown of the white with golden embroidery with little rose bud accents and lace. She'd have on exquisite jewelry gold and silver, diamonds and pearls, maybe she'd even wear long, silky gloves. Elegant, romantic music would play. All her close friends would march down the aisle in gorgeous dresses, their dresses would be pink of course because her favorite color was pink. The venue would be full of her friends and family members all dressed in their finery, her mother would be crying and her father would be beaming from ear to ear as he proudly waltzed her down the aisle. It was something she had longed for all her life and now she was being told that her lifelong dream was never to take place. The saddest part of it though was that in recent years that glorious occasion had been pictured with Loki, now none of her hopes and wishes would ever come to pass. Now all she would have was a simple legal ceremony. It would just be a reading of the rites. A formality. It would not be cause for celebration and an evening to commemorate a love that would last a life time. Such hopes were dashed.

"Well whether you have a wedding or not tis not the point," Lady Tyra started to protest. "If the Magistrate is coming than he shall need special rooms made up...and I will need to..."

"Nevermind any of that now Tyra," Theoic stated abruptly as he massaged his temples. "See to it that Sigyn becomes acquainted the household," he ordered with a snap of his fingers before he walked off.

For a moment the two ladies stood in silence in the wine cellar. The squish-squash of the wine pressers mushing grapes in between their toes was the only sound to be heard. Sigyn anxiously twiddled her long, tanned finger through her gorgeous golden locks. Her foot shifted around the hay on the ground. Lady Tyra stood looking up at the ceiling doing anything to avoid eye contact with her husband's new wife. She spotted a nest in the spires. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, she let out a deep, gusty sigh and uncrossed her arms from under her large bosom. "well," the Ls lingered on her tongue. "Let us go along with it then," she declared as she started to march out. Lady Tyra broke into a quick march. Sigyn, scampered behind her like a child. "I hope you can keep up," Tyra said as her turned around. Her beady, black olive eyes squinted as she tried to shade them in the sunlight. "No matter what Lord Theoic says I do have other tasks to see to today. Especially if Magistrate Hans is going to come in a night or so. I will have to get a room arranged for him," she explained somewhat irritably.

Sigyn watched the older brown-skinned woman mutter a bit more. Sigyn stifled a tiny snickered that bubbled behind pretty, pink lips. She reminded her of her mother. She was convinced that Lady Tyra must have been near her mother's age. Her mother had always bustled about like a nervous hen at the mention of company. Especially, if the king would be stopping by to speak of the armada with her father.

Sigyn ran quickly behind the statuesque woman of Kelby. "Sigyn," the blonde noblewoman stated slowly from behind Lady Tyra.

"What?" the purple lipped matron responded turning around and looking at the lovely golden-locked maiden. She looked Sigyn up and down and it didn't go unnoticed that her lip curled slightly as she performed the inspection

"Sigyn," the bride-to-be squeaked out once more, this time with a little more confidence. "My name," she breathed as she let her nerves simmer down. "My names is Lady Sigyn Arndottir, Daughter of Admiral Arn and Lady..." she extended her warm, tawny colored hand toward Lady Tyra and even offered a faint smile. Tyra's expression remained stoic, impassive and ultimately unimpressed. Lady Sigyn withdrew her hand after a few seconds of her fingers lingering in the air. She curled her fingers back in and pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. Perhaps an extension of the hand was too informal. Her parents had always taught her to respect her elders and her betters. Lady Tyra nearly, the age of Sigyn's mother. In an effort to show more respect, Sigyn dipped into a polite and graceful curtsy. "We were never properly introduced," Sigyn explained with her head bowed, but she made an effort to show a sincere smile underneath her golden mane that cascaded over her face.
The taller female rolled her beady eyes at Sigyn gesture. While the daughter of Admiral Arn was managing to raise herself to her full height, Tyra raised her brown hand in Sigyn's face instantly quieting the young woman. " Oh pleased!" she added sarcastically, "Spare me the pleasantries," she rolled her eyes once more/ "I know who you are," he purple lips stated. Sigyn set her pretty, pursing pink lips to say something, but she was cut off automatically, "Do you think I am such a knit-wit that I would not investigate the woman who is coming to stay with my husband and I?" she quirked her thin brows.

"To be his wife," Sigyn qualified, trying to make her voice sound strong.

Tyra responded with a cruel grin. "Yes," she nodded. "Wife, indeed." Tyra sneered as she started to circle around Sigyn looking her over with cruel, squinty black eyes. "And what qualities do you really have to be a wife?" the chocolate hued Norn woman questioned indignantly.

"I beg pardon?" Sigyn asked turning around and trying to follow Theoic's wife's revolving form.

"Perhaps you could have made some hoity-doity, highfalutin man in the Imperial City happy, but this is the Dales!" Tyra expressed, "You did not even know what a wine-press was for Asgard's sake!" she snapped.

"I can sew and can cook Lady Tyra," Sigyn tried to explain the qualities that she had that would make her a good wife.

"And you can have sex," The purple lipped lady bluntly offered. "No doubt that is all you are really good for," the woman of Kelby accused.

"What?" Sigyn asked her large honeycomb eyes grew wide at the cold and calloused words.

Tyra lifted her pudgy nose into the air and crossed her arms under her more than ample bosom as she continued strutting around Lady Sigyn like a proud and arrogant peacock. "Do not think I do not know of you Lady Sigyn," Tyra's voice was very precise despite her country accent. "I know what you are," she indicated. Poor Sigyn merely blinked totally confused by what Tyra of Kelby was trying to insinuate. Tyra eventually grew tired of implying things only to be met by Lady Sigyn's bewildered blinking. "You are nothing more than a whore," the woman of the house spit viciously.

The condemning word was a smack across the face. She had not been called a harlot in sometime now. She wasn't truly that stupid as to believe that people did not think it about er, but no one had dared called her that after she became a lady-in-waiting to her majesty, Queen Frigga. The label was so painful, the worse name a woman could bear. It was a terrible thing. It implied that she would lie with anyone and everyone that she walked the streets and took money to come to men's beds and that had never been the case. She'd only ever intended to lie with one man and that was her husband. The only reason she had slept with Prince Loki before their wedding night was because she wanted him to be her husband. She wanted to be his wife, not because she wanted to be a princess, although of course that was nice, but because she wanted to love him for all time and have him love her in the same fashion. She didn't know what else to do to get him to fall in love with her. She couldn't go toe to toe with Loki in intellectual debates, she couldn't impress him with her prowess in magic and even though many men had always seemed to find her charming company, she could never really seem to make Loki laugh. He may have laughed at her, but never with her. He didn't really find her jokes about what people were wearing very funny. One time she'd overheard him talking with Lady Dagmar. He'd described her as droll and vapid. She still didn't know what vapid meant, but she was sure it wasn't a compliment. The only way she thought she could win his affection was to give him her body and maybe that had been foolish. She'd taken the advice of a friend, but in the end it led to her demise. But even still she didn't regret it. In fact she was glad of it. She was grateful for any moment that she'd brought him pleasure and she was grateful to have had the opportunity to give herself to the man she loved even if he didn't feel the same.

Sigyn's cheeks burned. Her eyes welled up with tears and her heart started to beat fast within her chest. The first thought that came across her mind was to slap Lady Tyra clean across her face for the insult. She'd seen women do it before. One time someone had called her closest friend Lady Liv a whore and Liv immediately removed her glove and slapped the Lady clean across the face. The two started tussling like children rolling down a hill screaming, scratching and biting a royal garden party. It was safe to say that neither one of the women merited an invitation to court for quite sometime. But Liv had always been had never been a feisty young woman in fact besides for in combat class she'd never stricken anyone and even in combat class when they'd learned some very basic maneuvers for hand to hand fighting she'd always apologize after she landed a blow.

"I AM NOT A WHORE!" Lady Sigyn shouted back breathlessly in the middle-aged Nornish woman's face. Sigyn's high voice rung through the rafters of the small barn. Her words were loud and echoing and caused the farm hands, who had all the while been mashing grapes, to look at her. Sigyn was huffing and puffing after the outburst and her throat was sore. Still she tried to compose her breathing. "I am not a whore Lady Tyra," she proclaimed flatly.

"Come, come now dear, it is no secret to anyone that Theoic has had you already. Silly harlot!" Tyra shot, "You slept with Theoic while you were engaged to Prince Loki," she went on. How did this country bumpkin woman who never ventured out of the Dales know so much. It made Sigyn want to put her hands over her ears. She couldn't bear to hear anymore. Do you deny it?" she asked. Sigyn dropped her head. She could not deny it. She never knew what had happened that night but Loki had told her. He'd gotten her drunk and she did lie with Theoic. But it wasn't because she'd wanted to. "As I thought!" Tyra lifted her head proudly once more. "If that isn't a whore...than I don't know what is," the stuffy older woman spat. "Atleast you were smart enough to get away from that horrid creature, Loki, he never deserved the title of Prince of Asgard. Spineless Snake!" the woman with the cocoa skin spat. Her words against Loki made Sigyn cringe. Loki wasn't spineless. She knew of a spineless man and that was the type of man who would run away from his wrong doings and let someone else bear all the brunt of a sin committed by two by herself, that was the type of man who would only wait til the moment was convenient before doing that which was honorable, that was the type of man who would runaway from fight. She knew that type of man and that type of man wasn't Loki. "I'll give you this, though Sigyn" Tyra started her voice wasn't as harsh or heartless now. It was almost jovial, "You must have had some talent, if one hundred years later a man remembers the night her spent with you to make you his wife," the blacked matron of Kelby confessed as she turned to Sigyn and gave her a wink and nod. Tyra's voice was almost tender and playful as she said the words and Sigyn watched as full purple-painted lips pulled into a nearly watery smile. It was strange, because it somehow eased away the hurt from the words just moments ago and made Sigyn want to forgive Lady Tyra. Tyra's eyes were somewhat soft as she looked down at Sigyn with some affection almost like a distant aunt might. She rubbed her hands across her face and instantly the almost gentle look in those narrow, little, black-olive eyes vanished and was replaced with something cold and stern. "Now let us get somethings straight, young chippie!" Tyra declared turning around to look at Sigyn whose eyes were down cast only to hide the tears. "Theoic may call you a wife, but you are a second wife! A concubine in my eyes and in the eyes of the rest of society," she added for good measure. Sigyn sucked in a sharp breath at the older woman's condemning words. She looked up at Lady Tyra with water glistening in her golden eyes. Tyra had s strong face and she wore a proud expression, she didn't flinch at seeing Lady Sigyn's eyes tremble.

Sigyn bit her quivering lower lip. Pain and anger somehow stirred with in her. Once again that feeling of wanting to hit Lady Tyra rose up in her. It startled her, she didn't like this feeling of wanting to unleash fury on someone else. It really wasn't like her. She imagined that maybe it had to do with all the stress. Instead of slapping, she dropped her gaze and bowed her head not even offering a word of protest. She supposed she couldn't. One could not protest truth. It was the truth. She was no better than a concubine. It made her slip her bronzed eyelids closed to keep from crying. This was the life she was condemned to. A lowly second wife...a concubine...a...a...a "A servant!" Tyra announced loudly so that other servants could hear. Her breathing was ragged as if it had been a struggle for her to say it. "You are a servant in this house and therefore my servant," Tyra stated with her head held high as she pumped out her chest.

Sigyn shook her head. "Lady Tyra," the blonde-haired wife-to-be raised a timid voice toward the statuesque older woman.

A long brown finger was raised back at her. "Since you are helping me with some of my wifely duties to Lord Theoic," she began her thin dark eyebrows knitted together. "I haven't been able to give Lord Theoic any children as I am sure you are well aware of, but he believes you can," Tyra replied stoically.

"Are you barren?"Lady Sigyn asked curiously.

Tyra straightened her back. "Why you impertinent little ingrate!" she yelled and stomped her foot. "As I was saying, I will expect you to help me in all areas of the household chores," Tyra expressed flatly.

Sigyn rubbed her hands together nervously, "Well of course...I want to help with the running of Kelby...but...but," Sigyn stammered.

"Good," Tyra responded her proud and stately shoulders slumping, "Today I shall show you the grounds tomorrow I will show your duties." With that Tyra led Sigyn around the rest of the estate. It took them a few hours to cover all the grounds of Kelby, but the tour ended with them touring the manor. Sigyn hadn't gotten to see much of her new home the night before. Honestly, she'd been so exhausted that she'd just slept in one of the guest rooms. The Kelby Manor, was fairly large, but it was dwarfed by land. It was nowhere near as big as her family estate in the Imperial City, but it was certainly a fine estate. It had an east-wing and a western-wing, servants quarters and good-sized kitchen, dining room and ballroom along with several sitting chambers. The furnishings were lovely, with many regal looking rugs and exotic tapestries, but they were also old. It was obvious that Theoic had not wanted to spend money in redecorating. Tyra had explained that most of the furniture, tapestries and other accents had belonged to Lord Theoic's mother before she had passed. She commented that she felt Theoic kept them less out of sentimentality and more out of frugality. Although most of the ornaments were lovely, they were extremely out of date.

"Well, here you are," the statuesque mixed raced woman stated as she huffed and puffed climbing to the top step. "This is the Northern Quarter," the salt and pepper matron of Kelby explained. "This will be your wing of the household," she expressed as she took a deep breath in and collecting herself before pushing open a white wooden door. "Lord Theoic's chamber is on the same floor. Just down the corridor there," Tyra gave flippant gesture to the adjacent hallway. She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat "My bedchambers are up stairs," she tried to say it with pride, but there was surely an air of jealousy to her tone. "of course as a first wife, I have more privacy and a larger chamber," she insisted.

"Of course," Lady Sigyn nodded. She didn't wish to shame Lady Tyra, but she knew what such a move meant. She was a woman who grew up in court. She knew what it meant when a man distanced his bed from a woman.

The door creaked open and Lady Sigyn was amazed by what she saw. It was an absolutely lovely chamber. The walls were painted a sweet girlish pink and embellished with little white rose carvings in the wood panels. She had a been provided with a large white canopy bed with sheer pink drapes that hung from the canopy that shimmered like pink champagne. She stepped inside and noted the pretty golden bedspreads on her bed. She had sitting furniture made of white wicker. It was a cheaper wood, but still it was an elegant and ladylike display. She had her own bathing chamber with a porcelain tub and sitting pallor for entertaining her company and a few adjoining the master bed chamber. Two of the rooms were simply furnished with small beds and dressers. "Those would be the chambers of your maids," Tyra explained as she cleared her throat and came behind Sigyn slowly. "Of course," she slowly started to add, "You haven't any," she pointed out.

Sigyn hung her head in shame. It was true she hadn't any servants now. She was little more than a glorified servant herself. When she had been engaged to Prince Loki her father had provided her with a very large dowry which included her bringing about 5 servants to the house of Odin. She sighed. But now she had nothing. There was no way her father would provide her with any servants.

Tyra cleared her throat seeing as throat, as she pointed to another room. "And this..." the dark-eyed, mistress of Kelby began as her hand turned an old rusty knob to reveal a small room painted in a light, pastel yellow. The room was full of small little carvings, petite chairs, tiny beds, pleasant and colorful tapestries that depicted nursery rhyme characters, there was a toy chest full of gently used stuffed animals and wooden dolls. "This," she gasped for breath, "This will be your nursery," she stated stiffly as she crossed her arms over her buxom bosom.

Lady Sigyn craned her neck to look into Tyra's face. Despite the way the middle-aged woman had kept a stiff-upper-lip, she could see the way her dark eyes were softening and the way her mouth parted with longing. Sigyn didn't know many women who didn't long for a child. She supposed there were some, women like Lady Sif who studied in the arts or war and became Valkyries. Or her dear friend Liv, who hired a nursemaid for her daughter as soon as the child was born. Liv was a woman who loved fine things, pink champagne, fancy jewelry, elaborate parties and expensive getaways, caring for a child stopped that. And of that she wanted no parts. She hired a nanny for her daughter as soon as the baby girl had been born and spent precious little time with her since. from the start. She spent little time with her child and she liked it that way. Liv was pregnant again and had every intention of hiring another nursemaid to take care of her new baby.

"Lady Tyra," Sigyn began to call as she saw the woman's plaid skirt out the door. She only stifled herself after noting how her voice echoed in the empty wing of the house. "I do hope we can become friends," she whispered back politely and let out a girlish giggled followed by a bright, warm and hopeful smile.

Tyra turned around once more. She meant to give a scolding remark, but when she looked into Sigyn's big trusting gold eyes she couldn't help but offer a smile back. She wrung her brown hands and walked back toward Sigyn. "Look, Lady Sigyn," the mistress of Kelby started as she shook her head. "You seem like a nice girl," she said as she approached. "Young woman," she corrected herself once she was face to face with Sigyn. "But I do not think we should kid ourselves with the promise of friendship," she expressed with a somewhat regretful sigh. "It never works out for women in our predicament," she continued to explain noting the crestfallen expression written clearly on Sigyn's face. Her explanation was flat and simple. "we must be realistic. How can two women have a true friendship when they vie for the affection of the same man?" posed Tyra with a shrug.

The daughter of Admiral Arn was not exactly sure that she was vying for Theoic's affection. She did not love him, but she would soon be his wife and she would have to do her best to please him. That was just her reasonable service, to the man who would be providing him with food, shelter and clothing for the rest of her days. In time what if she did begin to love him...would then she and Tyra be at odds? "Do you love Lord Theoic?" Sigyn dared to watched Tyra's thick lips turn down obviously taken aback by the question. Sigyn supposed it was a bit impertinent of her, but she had to know. She knew what it felt like to be in love with a man and for him to love another. She knew how deeply that could hurt. She knew how that could put woman against woman.

Tyra let our a mouse-like squeak. "A woman of my age has no business believing in notions such as love," Tyra responded coldly, she spat the word love like she had taken a swig of sour milk. "Love is wasted on the young," she quoted, "and is best left to young chippies like yourself," the mixed gray-haired woman continued.

"A person can never be too old to be in love," Sigyn countered as she placed her hand to her heart in a romantic swoon.

"If you believe that then you have much to learn of men," Tyra shook her head pitying. "Men love you as long as you are young and pretty as long as you can give them what they want," she shrugged as she ran her finger along the door post.

"That's not always true," Sigyn protested. "if it's true love..."

"Oh you are an imbecile aren't you," Tyra responded. "True love is merely a myth, for children and fools," Tyra spat.

"That's not true!" Sigyn protested. "There is true love... my parents they truly love each other," Sigyn started to explain.

"Spare me those mushy story of your parents romance," she held up her hand halting Sigyn's words in her tracks. "Do you think Theoic is your true love?" Lady Tyra countered back. "Do you think he is your knight in shining armor? Do you believe that?" Tyra spat angrily as she marched into Sigyn's face. The younger blonde woman simply wagged her head, unable to speak. "You are young and fair, lively, simple," Tyra pointed out harshly. "You are the type of woman a man can make into a play thing," Tyra explained without mercy.

"That's not true!" Sigyn blurted out her eyes welling with tears.

"Oh of course it is!" Tyra waved her hand with angry dismissal. "You were Loki's whore and you played the harlot for Theoic as well," she hummed.

"Lady Tyra," Sigyn spoke up in heaving gasps. "Please do not call me a whore," she stated trying to sound firm but the all the while her voice was quivering. "For that is not what I am," she replied.

"Oh be quiet!" Tyra scolded. "I believe in responsibility, respect and honor," she qualified pointing her finger at Sigyn's nose. "For nearly 50 years I have done my best to fulfill my responsibilities as Theoic's wife. I have done my utmost best for him and that wasn't good enough!" Tyra admitted her voice quivering just a bit as she balled up her hands into fist. "You being here is disrespectful to me!" She went on as she dramatically pointed to herself. Sigyn blinked as she started to watch Lady Tyra's dark eyes well with tears. "It says that what I was a wife...as a woman was not good enough for him!" she expressed the tears now falling fresh and hot. Sigyn felt overwhelmed, she rushed toward Lady Tyra her slim, bronzed arm outstretched, wanting to pull the older woman into a tight embrace. Sigyn's finger tips had barely skimmed Tyra's arm before Tyra was taking steps back, shaking her head trying to get away from the Asgardian maiden. Tyra shoved Sigyn's hands from off of her rough roughly. The push was so forceful that it nearly hurt. "I sought to have an honorable life with Lord Theoic." the coffee-colored Norn explained as she gained some composure and started to swipe away at the tears that ran from her beady olive eyes. "But here, you are...a...a...a woman of dishonor!" Tyra accused with a condemnatory finger. "You...you...you have slept with so many!" she went on.

"Lady Tyra!" Sigyn rebuffed. "That is not true!" Sigyn stuttered out through a choked sob. "I have not..."

"You were to marry a prince of Asgard!" she shouted in Sigyn's face forcing the blonde woman's glittering golden eyes to fill with liquid. "Albeit he was nothing more than a scoundrel and a traitor, but still you had a moment of honor and you chose to throw it away,"

"No...No...no. You don't know," Sigyn refuted her.

"I know that you have stolen honor from me, this day," Tyra made it clear as she pointed to the ground. "So no...no...no my dear, sweet, little Sigyn. We cannot be friends...I consider you a servant!" she hollered at the blonde haired woman who was once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Frigga. She swung her hand back and slapped it across Sigyn's thin face. Sigyn's head swung to the side and her bouncing golden locks followed. Her cheek was inflamed. And her eyes welled with tears. She managed to twist her head back to gaze at Tyra's face. Her purple pained lips were squeezed tightly together and her chin was quivering. Sigyn watched as beady, black eyes filled with moisture. Lady Sigyn pressed her hand to her cheek it was burning and stinging. "A servant! A slave! That is all," the wife of Theoic reiterated before escaping from Sigyn's presence. She turned on her heels and dashed away.

"Lady Tyra! Wait!" Sigyn's reached her hand out trying to catch Lady Tyra by the shoulder, but she couldn't. Tyra was too far gone. Sigyn sank to her knees and started to cry.

The following day proved to be just as challenging as the first day she'd spent in Kelby. It was worse if Sigyn was to be honest. She'd tried to go to sleep that night with a positive attitude. She tried to make the best of her situation. As she went to bed that night she counted the blessings of her predicament: Kelby was beautiful and she had lovely living quarters. She'd thought that perhaps things would get better. Things were never truly as awful as they seemed. Perhaps she and Tyra could learn to get along. It would just be an adjustment, but in a few months they'd start sharing and talking and bonding. At least that was what she hoped. She was sincere when she told Tyra that she wanted to be friends. She did. She honestly did. But she soon learned that Tyra was just as sincere when she told her that she only considered her a servant and a slave.

She knew Lady Tyra had purposed in her heart to make the day hard. She knew that Lady Tyra wanted to prove to her that they were not on equal footing, that she held the upper-hand in this three-way marriage. She wanted to make her feel like nothing more than a slave in the house of the man who would be her husband and indeed she succeeded in doing that.

Sigyn woke up to a crowing rooster. It kept cock-a-doodle-doing. Sigyn did her best to ignore the loud and proud crowing. She pulled the cotton, downy pillows over her head to block out the rooster, but when she thought she had succeeded at that, soon rough hands shook her from her bed demanding that she get up. Sigyn groaned as she felt the chill of the crisp fall morning on her body once the blankets had been removed. "Mmm, Ineedmy beauty rest, mother," she mumbled as she stretched and curled up once more comfortable on the bed. Instantly, she felt her whole body drenched in ice-cold water. Sigyn jumped out of her soaked bed, wide-eyes and screaming and frantic dashing around the room like a chicken with her head cut off. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" she screamed in bewilderment as she rushed around her hands waving in the air like a wild woman. She finally stopped in front of Lady Tyra who stood calm and pleased looking her arms crossed and an empty wooden bucket at her feet.

"Now that you're up," Tyra stated with smug sort of pleasure at seeing the young woman shivering, soggy and utterly confused. Her big golden eyes were red and puffy and completely bewildered as she stared at the Lady of Kelby. Lady Tyra insisted that there were many chores and tasks to be taken care of in the day. Tyra explained that she would show Sigyn only once what duties she would need to attend and after that it would be Sigyn's responsibility for holding up her portion of the duties to keep Kelby running.

Tyra dictated to Sigyn everything that she expected her to do that day. Tyra spoke rapidly and Sigyn couldn't keep track of all the things that Tyra had mentioned for her to do. Sigyn frantically fumbled through her drawers to find quill and parchment to write the list down. But the list of chores left Sigyn's head spinning. She didn't even know how to do any of the tasks that Lady Tyra had assigned her. Tyra wanted her to milk cows and slop pigs, she wanted her to muck out the stalls and press the grapes. Sigyn had never done any of these things before. She started to panic, there was no way she could do all these things alone without any assistance. "Ummm Lady Tyra," Sigyn paused as she looked at the list. "Will you be able to help me with any of these things?" she asked timidly, feeling overwhelmed by the tasks set before her.

"I have many things to attend to in preparation for Magistrate Han's arrival, he just happens to be the most important man in the Dales. I must have everything perfect by the time he arrives and I haven't the time to be babysitting you doing all these chores!" she fussed.

"Perhaps I could tend to the setting up things in the manor for Magistrate Han's," Sigyn suggested as she pointed to herself and allowed her bright smile to splay across her face.

"Ha! You? The impertinence!" the salt-and-pepper haired woman scoffed. "Now see here! I told you are to be a servant in this house, you shall not come here and think it shall be a life of ease! You will learn the ways of this farm!" Tyra informed her staunchly and harshly.

"I wasn't trying to escape the chores," the golden-eyed soon-to-be wife to Lord Theoic mumbled as she looked down at her lumpy bowl of porridge. "It...It...it is just that I do have some experience in such matters," she admitted daring to look up and give the older woman even the slightest grin. "As a lady-in-waiting to her majesty, Queen Frigga, I was often in charge of making arrangements in the women's and men's quarters of the palace to see to it that all guests would find their rooms to their liking. They were often pleased with my work...I just thought," Sigyn posed.

"Never mind what you thought!" Tyra clapped her wrinkled chestnut hands in Sigyn's face and Sigyn let out a little yelp at the scolding. "Now come! Daylight is a-wasting and I haven't all day!" she commanded as she slammed down the cloth napkin on the table and started to storm out of the kitchen. Sigyn rushed from her seat and scuttled behind Lady Tyra obediently.

Tyra made her work from dawn til dusk. Sigyn collected eggs and fed chickens, she slopped big, fat, stinky, hogs. She milked the cows and the goats and churned their milk into butter. Tyra had her harvest wheat and shuck corn, she made her go to the mill and gather the crushed wheat into flour bags. Sigyn walked a 5 mile field sewing cotton seeds behind a slow plowing mule. It was nasty work as the donkey smelled terribly from the rear. Her last job of the evening had been wine pressing with a few other vineyard tenders. The tenders showed Sigyn the ropes on how to dive her bare toes into a giant bowl full of plump purple grapes.

Sigyn was convinced that Lady Tyra had concocted all these odd jobs for her just to be cruel. All the servants of Kelby were so polite and helpful and sweet. If it hadn't been for them Sigyn would have still been trying to fill three tin jugs worth of goats milk. Which a young, servant girl explained was nearly impossible. Sigyn was also sure that Lady Tyra would have sent word for more chores for her to perform had it not been for fact that a servant came rushing to the vineyard expressing that Lord Theoic had requested that all work cease, because Magistrate Han's had arrived.

One of Lord Theoic's butler's came to retrieve Lady Sigyn from the vineyard. By that point poor Sigyn didn't know whether she was coming or going. The day had been so long and she was completely drained. Every bone and muscle in her body ached abominably. Her body was not the body of a woman of the Dales. It was not a body used to heavy lifting and long days that seemed to have no end. She was delicate boned and willowy. Carrying heavy bundles and loads was too much for her slight frame to bear. She had worked since sun up and the sun was just starting to set. She'd lost track of time but she was sure it had been over 12 hours of intense labor. Her back was stiff and sore from the crouched position she'd taken when she'd been milking the cows and slopping the pigs. Her feet were sore from the acres that she'd covered walking the field and scattering seeds. Sigyn's normally smooth palm's were chafed and red after shucking stalk after endless stalk of corn. Her eyes were red and watery from being exposed all day long to too much hay. Her legs and arms felt like jelly from hours of pounding and pressing the plump, ripe, purple grapes into wine.

Sigyn looked as horrid as she felt. From head to toe she was covered and caked in all manner of filth and grime. The pretty fall dress that she had chosen to wear was destroyed. It was hardly even recognizable as a dress any longer. She looked like a walking mudpie. Her face was filled with the dust of the field, her hair was matted with dirt and gunk. Her golden locks had turned into a tangled mess of brown braided with straw and thatch and grass sticking out from every which way. Her petite feet were stained with the dark purple dye of the pressed grapes. Worst of all she reeked! She stank of manure and cows and sweat. Sigyn was sure she had never been so grimy and nasty and hot in all her days.

The ride back to Kelby Manor was excruciating. Every bump and turn to the winding country road that led back to the manor jarred Sigyn and she felt as though it caused a new bruise to form on her already battered and sensitive body. Her rump, her back hurt, her head hurt and her tunny was rumbling something fierce, she hadn't eaten since the morning meal. Despite the fact that her stomach was growling like an angry bear, Sigyn didn't want to eat. She was too exhausted to eat. The thought of having to move her stiff and sore arms and make them bring meat to her lips was enough to make her wince. All she wanted to do was make her way to her bedchamber and soak her aching feet and battered and fatigued body in warm and steamy bath. She simple wanted to fill a porcelain tub with warm water and a sweet-smelling bubble-bath with jasmine oils and rose petals. She wished she had her old nursemaid Elke to comb the thistles and thorns and hay and twigs from her blonde strands, or one of the maidens in the king's household to scrub her back clean. She didn't think that her arms still possessed the strength to even cleanse her body. She wanted to sleep. To fling herself across the bed and allow her bone-weary body to sleep for 100 years. She wondered if Theoic would take pity on her and allow her to simply rest. Surely he would see that she looked like nothing but a ragamuffin and was in no position or condition to fraternize and entertain his guests.

When she arrived back at Kelby Manor she was whisked to her room and scrubbed and tubbed by three of Lord Theoic's elderly maidservants. It was not the luxurious bath that she had longed for. The water was cold and harsh. The soap was just a plain bar of farm made soap. It had no sweet aroma to soothe away the aches and pains in her body and the stress in her mind. She was filthy, so the maid had to scrub her hard to get all the filth from her. Sometimes she would wince a bit as they pressed the hard bar of soap into her sore sides and over her aching back. The maidens were very apologetic. They told her they were trying to scrub is lightly as they could, but that Lord Theoic was in a hurry to get dinner served.

When the elderly servant women were finished bathing her they rapidly offered to help her get dressed. They insisted that she wear something in Lord Theoic's colors for the evening. She did have one dark blue evening dress that was cut with just one strap and a shimmering, sheer, shawl to drape across the other shoulder. It had always been a crowd pleaser at court, she always received oodles and oodles of compliments on it, but tonight could be her last night to not have to adorn herself in the same colors as Theoic for the rest of her days. Hesitantly, she reached for a strapless pale gold gown with drapes over the shoulders that served as sleeves. The was gathered and ruche at that bottom with bright jade gemstones that decorated the collar of the sweetheart neckline.

Lady Sigyn adorned herself appropriately with golden jewelry, she put on a simple tear drop necklace that had double braided gold chain that was lined with tiny diamonds, they glittered if they caught the light of the room at just the right angle, but the real eye catcher on the piece was the large emerald. Loki had given it to her as betrothal gift. She loved it, it was the type of magnificent ornament that was fit for a queen, but the real reason that it had earn such a special place in her heart was because it reminded her of Prince Loki's eyes; the endless shade of entrancing evergreen was all at the same time beautiful, exciting and mysterious. She grasped at the bobble as she slid it around her long neck and dropped just into the cleavage of her bosom revealed by her plunging sweetheart neckline. The metal was cold against Sigyn's warm honeycomb flesh. The frosty feeling reminded her of long cool fingers that often trailed all over her body sending goosebumps up and down her spine. She instantly gathered it up in her hands and fumbled with it feeling the ridges of the intricately cut gemstone. She spun it around and was breathless with how deep and rich the color was. When their betrothal arrangement was annulled Loki hadn't asked to get the necklace back. Sigyn convinced herself that somehow by Loki allowing her to keep the necklace that he was communicating to her that he still loved her. She fantasized that perhaps the annulment of their betrothal contract had not been Loki's idea. That it was Odin's doing, of course the king would not want his son to marry a woman who was not a virgin, but she believed that in his heart of hearts Loki never wanted their betrothal contract to be annulled. So he gave her the trinket as a permanent reminder of their love.

Sigyn closed her big amber eyes and clasped her hand tightly around the emerald stone. Her dreams seemed so foolish now. She could still hear Loki voice sharp as nails in her ear "I don't love you Sigyn! I never have!" She could still feel his cold bony fingers wrap painfully around her wrist as he gripped her up with intensity only to fling her into the force field barrier that guarded his cell. It hurt so much: his words, his actions. To know for once and for all that he'd never loved her. upoNot to mention the searing pain of being rammed into an electricity charged shield. Sigyn's eyes welled up with tears. How could she have ever concocted such notions as a betrothal necklace meaning that Loki really loved her? It was ridiculous then and it was even more ridiculous that she'd kept the necklace for over 100 years when Loki had barely even acknowledged her presence.

Sigyn hung her head and started to unclasp the gold chain from around her slender, bronze neck. It certainly didn't have a place in her life anymore. Loki had told her in no uncertain terms how he felt about her. Besides in a few hours was to be married to another, Theoic. Surely, Theoic would not take kindly to her wearing a trinket that another man had given her. Especially Loki, Theoic thought so ill of Loki, even before Loki had proven himself to be treacherous, Theoic had disliked him. He would not welcome the once prince's tokens. It would surely be seen as disrespectful for her to flaunt such gaudy jewelry before Lord Theoic and his guests. Theoic was wealthy enough to afford a nice life, but he was a simple man, he lived simplistically, such finery would seem out-of-place in his household. It might bring shame upon him. Sigyn looked at the green gem once more, its shine, its clarity, the cut of the expensive stone, surely it was out of Theoic's prince range it was something that he would never be able to afford to give her even if he wanted to. But he wouldn't want to, Theoic wouldn't dream of spending that type of money on himself let alone on her.

With that, Sigyn decided to wear her necklace from Loki. In less than a day she would be Theoic's wife. She would be expected to wear his colors and do as he say to please him. She would be expected to forsake all past lovers and only love him. She didn't know if that was possible. She didn't know if she could ever truly love Theoic. Perhaps she could love him. She suspected that after spending enough time with him she would grow to appreciate him, she would care about him and care for him. She'd do her best to make him happy, to please him. Maybe she would grow to have some respect for him even though he had proven himself to be a coward and a cheap skate, but she didn't think she would ever be head-over-heels in love with him She knew she would never forget Loki, because she did love him with all her heart. Even if he didn't love her, her heart would always be his. So for this one last time she would wear Loki's necklace and pretend that she was his and he loved her.

Sigyn emerged from her bedroom chamber looking resplendent in her glittering gold and glowing shades of green gems. Lady Tyra who stood right outside Sigyn's bedchamber door, impatiently tapping her foot, was forced to do a double take as she beheld Sigyn. She was so sure that the bubble of a maiden would still look wane, sickly and dirty from a long day of hard labor. She expected to see pain written across Sigyn pink lips with ever step she took. She had planned for the exhaustion to show on her face. For the girl to be so tired that she wouldn't even put on her face paints properly and then perhaps her husband wouldn't be so easily swayed by the younger woman's charms. She suspected that Sigyn probably was as fair with mascara on her eyes and rouge on her cheeks and lip paint staining her puckered lips. The younger gentlewoman had only had a few minutes to bathe and dress and absolutely no time to rest, surely, she would still have dirt and hay lingering in her amber mane, surely there would still be grime, manure and dung crusted under her long elegant fingernails. She counted on the fact that she would not be clean and sweet-smelling she would have just spritzed herself with the perfume and the perfume mixing with a the stinky smell of her body odor would make Theoic's nose curl along with the guests. But Lady Sigyn smelt as sweet as a bouquet of flowers and she looked as flawless as a porcelain doll.

"Do as I do!" the woman of Kelby instructed bitingly as she gripped Sigyn by her wrist. "This is not court! You are to be Theoic's second wife and you will act in such a way! None of your flirtations," Tyra snapped. "You stay behind me!" she warned wagging her gloved finger in Sigyn face. Sigyn gold eyes batted rapidly and she nodded profusely toward the Wife of Lord Theoic. They got to the top of the carpeted steps and some chatter could be heard amongst the men in the sitting room just below. Tyra wafted down the steps in grace and beauty. She was quite light on her feet for a woman of her height. "Gentlemen," she called elegantly as she glided down the stairs.

"My, my, my, if it isn't Lady Tyra," Magistrate Han's called chipperly as the dignified woman entered their presence. The distinguished lady of Kelby started to him with her black-gloved hand extended and Magistrate Hans took her proffered hand and graciously kissed it. Magistrate Hans was an elderly gentleman, rotund and bald at the center of his head. But he did have long scraggly white hairs hanging around the edged. He had a thin curly cue mustache and a sharp and stylish goatee. He was certainly more fashion forward than the rest of the people she had seen in the Dales. His goatee and mustache were somewhat dusty gray in color. He was dressed in the traditional robes that Magistrates throughout the provinces of Asgard wore, long brown shawls and golden tunics. He had a regal looking cane that was made of a dark mahogany wood with a silver handle that was shaped like a hawk. He had a distinguished spying glass placed over his right eye. "it is so good to see you again, dear lady," he expressed flashing a smile that revealed one of his front teeth was silver.

"Magistrate Hans welcome to our humble home once more," Tyra replied with a deep curtsy and she extended her arms as if she was a bird about to take off in flight. "I hope you find your room to satisfaction,"Lady Tyra asked with a purr and a giggle as she ran the rim of her finger around the edge of his wine goblet.

The Magistrate of Asgard smiled and started to respond to the most courteous greeting of the woman of Kelby, but his eyes darted up and they landed on Sigyn who had almost shyly been hiding behind Lady Tyra's skirt. "And who is this ravishing creature!" he gasped as he noted the woman in the gorgeous, gold dress, with a breathtaking green stones lining the collar. He pushed away from Tyra as if drawn to Sigyn. He took her soft hand and immediately brought it too his lips. He planted a slightly wet kiss there. "You must be Lady Sigyn," he expressed as he breathed and looked into Sigyn wide and innocent amber eyes. Sigyn bobbed her head giddily smiling. "My friend Theoic did not do you justice," he complimented. "I heard rumors," the magistrate expressed, "But you know young men are so often over zealous about their young brides, but you are simply stunning," the older man compliments shamelessly as he held out her hands and looked her over. He gave a scrutinizing inspection through the spying glass over his right eyes. He licked his old and wrinkled lips. "My, my, my" he murmured again. "I do not see how Theoic lived without a prize like you for the past 100 years," he mentioned as he nodded. "Welcome to the Dales, Lady Sigyn," he greeted as he threw out his arms and wrapped her in a nearly grandfatherly embrace and planted two quick kisses on her cheeks.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Magistrate," Sigyn replied and showed her best court manners. She curtsied and dipped her head, allowing her forehead to rest just on Magistrate Hans' slightly pudgy fingers tips, giving him the utmost respect.

"Well after seeing you I can most certainly see why he is in a hurry to get married," the silver-toothed Magistrate chuckled as he turned back to the slightly younger plantation and winked. He tossed his head back and laughed. "And here I was going to come to try to convince him to join me and some of the other men on our way to the Imperial City to prepare to fight against this dreadful enemy," he said as he took a mug of offered ale off of a place being served by one of the servants.

"You are returning to the Imperial City?" Sigyn asked she tried not to look too delighted by the notion.

"Oh yes, my child these are perilous times every man's needed. We've lost so many," the old magistrate mumbled as he bowed his head in a moment of silence for the brave warriors of Asgard who'd fallen at the hands of those monsters. "And I intend to fight for my king!" The elderly official stated there was something condemning in his tone. Theoic looked down and looked away. It seemed as though Magistrate Han's must have noticed how shamefaced and red Theoic looked after his commentary. "But I will say this, if I had a beautiful maiden like you that I was about to take as my bride well...nothing would make me leave your side as well," he nudged Sigyn in the shoulder causing the blonde haired wife-to-be to let out a high-pitched giggle. Then he turned to Theoic and gave the younger man of the Dales a wink. "Ah," Magistrate Hans raised a wrinkled finger and pointed to Sigyn's stunning emerald necklace that dangled in her cleavage. "How lovely," he stated, the court leaders gnarled and wrinkled fingers skimmed the stone. "Theoic must truly love be smitten with you," he explained as he smiled up at the golden eyed maiden. "I have never known him to spend so much," the court official whispered to Lady Sigyn as he continued to finger the large gem.

"Oh thank you, my lord," Sigyn said humbly her tanned fingers fumbling to feel the necklace as well. "Lord Theoic did not give it to me, though," she explained the older gentleman raised his wiry, white eyebrow, "actually, an old suitor did," she expressed as her whole hand pressed the beautiful green gem closer to her heart. She could not help the smile that formed on her face as she felt the cool stone against his skin. Her cheeks started to turn pink as a pigs belly. She remembered Loki. "I have a gift for you," he said to her the night just before their betrothal announcement was made to the court. They had stood in the waiting area, waiting for the herald to announce them to walk in as the guests of honor. She had been nervous. It would be their first time seen as a betrothed couple.

"A gift!" she squealed excitedly patting her hands and stomping her feet just like a little girl anxious to receive a bag of goodies. She did so love gifts. She watched and his graceful white hands reached into the folds of his royal green cape and pulled out a small black velvet box. He opened it and on the inside she found the gorgeous necklace of brilliant gold and radiant white diamonds with the magnificent shining emerald at the bottom. She was rendered speechless by the beauty of the piece of jewelry. "Loki!" she gasped as she reached for the box. He allowed her to gather it in her hands. "Oh my goodness it is lovely," she expressed her eyes welling with tears. "I...I...I don't deserve this," she stated as she looked with awe at the gorgeous jewels he was bestowing upon her.

He sighed. "Well we are to be wed," he stated as he clasped his hands in front of him. "You should have something befitting a princess of Asgard," he announced flatly. He pulled the trinket from the box and ordered her to spin around so that he could fasten the necklace around her long neck.

Her glistening amber eyes looked down at the trinket once more. "I love it!" she said spinning around to face him with tears in her eyes. "I love you!" she went on, immediately flinging her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his with gusto.

"Who gave this to you Sigyn," suddenly the tall, brunette landowner's deep tenor voice rang in her ear pulling her from ere is the ring that I gave to you, Sigyn?" Lord Theoic asked as he came up to admire his soon-to-be bride.

Sigyn looked shocked and flabbergasted. Her eyes instantly flashed to glance at her left hand that was empty of an engagement stone. She must have inadvertently taken it off. "I...I...I...I" Sigyn stammered desperately as she wrung her hands. She noted Theoic's expression, his full lips were severe and arched in a most disapproving way. His busy brunette brows were knit together, his tawny face was slightly reddening with anger.

"Who gave it to you, Sigyn" he asked once more. His manners were in tact, he wiped the grimace from his face and smiled and acted like it was a game.

"I...I... just an old friend," Sigyn chuckled anxiously as she felt Theoic come and drape his big, brawny arm around her shoulder. His brown eyes looked down at her bosom, but they didn't linger at the exposed cleavage, they focused on the emerald that glistened in the chandeliers light.
"Yes, who?" he pressed he now dared to reach his hand over and clasp at the jewel. "Hmmm?"

"I..." Sigyn felt nervous her breathing started to grow ragged her amber eyes darted back and forth as if she was looking to pull an answer from the ceiling. She had never been a good liar.

"Who!?" He demanded his voice rang through the room. Now all was silent and still and focused on her.

"Um Prince Loki, Lord Theoic," Sigyn confessed as she dropped her head.

"Loki is prince of nothing!" Theoic yelled in her face as he yanked the necklace off from around her neck. Sigyn gasped as she felt the cool gold chain snap. "And that monster's garbage is not welcome at Kelby," the long-haired landowner declared with a ripple of unbridled anger in his voice.

"Please Theoic!" Sigyn started to plead her voice sounding fragile. "It is a royal artifact. It is priceless," she tried to explain.

"Then it shall fetch a nice price when the peddlers come to collect useless wares," He snarled as he beheld the magnificent piece of jewelry, he balled it up in his massive hands as if he intended to crush it.

"Please," Sigyn begged once more. "Could you not just return it to the palace, it is from the royal treasury, it isn't yours to give away," she refuted.

"Not mine!" Theoic responded cruelly, yelling in Sigyn's face and making her feel foolish. "That traitor, Loki gave it to you did he not?" Sigyn didn't respond immediately. "Did he not?" Lord Theoic bellowed at her in front of the company present.

"Yes," Sigyn squeaked out.

"Everything you own Sigyn is mine," he reminded her harshly as he took her by the wrist. "Loki's filth doesn't even belong in Asgard!" Theoic declared. Magistrate Hans gave a hearty 'hear! Hear' as he brought a mug of ale to his lips. "I will dispose of this properly," he proclaimed and looked Sigyn squarely in the eye letting her know that the conversation was over as he shoved the trinket in his pocket

"Dinner is served!" Theoic's butler announced. With that the guests of Kelby moved from the pallor to the dinning room. They tried to chatter as if nothing hand transpired between Lord Theoic and his bride to be. Theoic led the way and Lady Tyra darted up to walk on his arm. She smirked back at Lady Sigyn and lifted her head mockingly in the air. Sigyn followed into the dining room silently, wiping tear from her eyes.

The dinner was very pleasant. The conversation was lively and fun at first. Magistrate Hans was a riot of a man. He was very gregarious, he told a lot of stories and jokes and kept most of the company around Lord Theoic's dinning table in stitches.

"And how are you adjusting to life in the Dales, Lady Sigyn?" asked the official as he let out a large belch to show his satisfaction with the meal that Lady Tyra had taken time to instruct the household staff to prepare. Tyra knew well the foods that Magistrate Hans liked to eat and like any mistress of the house, she catered to the tastes of her guests.

Sigyn took another small bite of the succulent suckled pig that they had dined on. She finished her nibble and dabbed gently at the sides of her mouth. She looked up at Magistrate Hans, "Well it will take some adjusting, I suppose," Sigyn said giving a polite grin that was really a wince as she felt the muscles in her body tense once more. She had so many scraps and bruises and scrapes all over her arms and legs from the long days labor. Sigyn rubbed her sore wrist and massaged her tender forearms. "But Lady Tyra was most gracious in showing me the ropes of how things work around the plantation," Lady Sigyn explained humbly as she shifted her large gold eyes to look at the beady eyed, brown skin woman sitting at the far end of the table.

Tyra looked up from her plate. She held a smug grin on her staunch and strong face. Her plum-colored lips stretched into an insincere grin. "Well," the regal older woman began. "I had to show her everything around the plantation today," Tyra went on cupping her hand over her purple painted lips and she made an aside to one of the nobles sitting next to her. It was an older man with all white whiskers. He raised a disapproving eyebrow at the maiden from the Imperial City."But don't worry, I will straighten her out," Tyra declared clicking her tongue and wagging her finger. "She must learn to earn her keep, after all, if she is to be a wife of the man of the Dales then she should become a woman of the Dales," Tyra expressed and the nobleman who she was seated next to nodded along. "She's not use to getting her hands dirty," the older woman pointed out as she slowly removed her black gloves. "I put her to work today, though," Tyra whispered as she turned the man sitting net her he was a short fellow, but despite his small stature he had an impressive and masculine build. "Poor thing," Tyra said almost pitying as she cast a glance at Lady Sigyn. Then she started with a twittering laugh. "Oh you should have seen her when she came riding back from the fields," Tyra pointed out as if she was about to tell the punch line of a joke. "She looked like nothing, but a little pink piggy, coming up from rooting from truffles in the mud," Tyra laughed out loud and some of the men around the table with them started to laugh as well.

Sigyn's ears burned, she felt herself shrinking deeper and deeper into herself. She wanted to get up and flee from the table. How could she be expected to sit her and take Lady Tyra insulting her to her face. She felt her blood start to boil. She felt her whole body starting to tremble with heat and anger. For the second time since meeting Lady Tyra she'd been overcome with the sensation that she wanted to slap the middle-aged woman of Kelby Manor across her wrinkled chestnut colored face. She wanted to holler and say how Tyra sent her out to the fields to do all the work and she didn't lift a finger to help at all. She wanted to shout and tell Lord Theoic about how Tyra had devised all this work for her and was planning on treating her just like a slave. She wanted to, but she didn't. It would seem terribly childish for her to start tale-telling on Lady Tyra, especially in mixed company. Besides, she didn't really want to start a war with Lady Tyra. Honestly, last night, when she told Lady Tyra that she wanted them to become friends she meant it. If this was to be her life she wanted it to be pleasant having another woman who fought and bickered with her all the time and tried to make her miserable most certainly wouldn't make for a pleasant life. So, Sigyn sat quietly bowing her head and holding her tongue as if she didn't hear the mocking remarks that Tyra was making.

"Next time we will have to work a little harder, won't we Sigyn, my sweet," Tyra teased rudely.

Sigyn lifted her head and turned to Tyra for the first time since she'd overheard her mocking conversation. "Harder?" the blonde-haired once lady-in-waiting waiting to the queen shrieked out in horror. Her gold eyes were wide and trembling. She couldn't imagine anything being harder than today. She was already so tired that she felt like her head could drop in her soup bowl any minute. Her sides still hurt every time she breathed and even the simple muscles movements of cutting her food caused her sore arms to ache.

"Tyra!" all of sudden Lord Theoic barked once more. "See to it that you remember that in a few days Lady Sigyn is to be my wife," he snapped. "Sigyn will not need to do any such labors while we are on our honeymoon," Theoic reminded Lady Tyra harshly. He then swiveled his head as he looked to Sigyn who looked nervous and frightened like a door-mouse. He pursed his thick lips beneath his smooth mustache and made a kissy face at her. He tossed her a wink. "And you are to make yourself scarce, whilst we get to know each other better," Theoic explained as he licked his thick lips lustfully as he looked at the smooth, bronzed skinned, buxom blonde maiden before him. His eyes filled with her. He wanted her. He tasted her one, night and one night only, it was teased. He wanted her once more. His brown eyes started to peel the one strap that hung over her left shoulder right off. His sturdy, calloused forefinger and thumb tickled and played with the honeycomb flesh of her arm and Sigyn faked a smile at his lustful touches.

"Well why don't I just make myself scarce right now!" Tyra squealed cantankerous as she shot up like a rocket from the table. Her beady, black olive eyes were trembling and her plump plum painted lip was set to shaking. She tried to stand firm, but she could not take it. Even as she shouted Theoic still kept his eyes on Sigyn. Well she'd not sit and be insulted in her own house, let alone ignored by her own husband in front of present company. She slammed down her white napkin on the mahogany table. She turned on her heels and immediately started to stalk away.

Even though Tyra had not been too kind to her Sigyn still didn't want to cause the older woman pain. She knew how that felt. How many times had she been in Tyra's position. How many times had she had to sit and watch Loki fawning over Lady Dagmar while she set reject and hurt. "Lady Tyra, wait!" Sigyn called out once more as she started to stand to chase after Lady Tyra.

"Let her go," Theoic insisted as he gave Lady Sigyn's wrist a tug pulling her back to her seat. Sigyn's bottom slammed back in the wooden chair with a thud as she let out a slight yelp. "Gentlemen," Theoic said finally breaking his entranced stair at the golden locked maiden to his left. "Why don't you all retire to the music room, someone find Tyra and be sure that she entertains you all," Theoic nodded politely to the other gentlemen who were sitting around his table. "Magistrate Hans, Lady Sigyn and I have important legal matters to attend to," he expressed as he let out a deep chuckle. The noblemen and plantation owners slowly exited the dinning room. A few of them patted Theoic on the back and gave encouraging nudges.

Theoic, Magistrate Hans and Lady Sigyn finished discussing the marriage contract and Sigyn retired to her chambers upon the request of her husband to be. He dismissed her from the meeting and sent a very young servant girl with her to help her prepare for bed.

The girl whose name was Marmi did everything she could to make her new mistress comfortable as she prepared to end the day. Little Marmi filled Lady Sigyn's bathing tub with warm water. She put spices and sweet smelling herbs in the water not only for a fragrant cleansing experience, but also to help ease the pain that Lady Sigyn's body must have been in when she helped the new mistress of the house disrobe she noticed the large black and blue marking on Sigyn's arms and legs and back. She had cuts and scrapes across her hands and although they had been hidden by the face paint that Lady Sigyn had put on for the dinner prepared for Magistrate Hans there were even nasty scratches on face. Marmi took the time to roll back the covers of Lady Sigyn's bed and she stocked the fire in her room and lit a few Jasmine candles before she exited Lady Sigyn's bed chamber.

Sigyn, plucked the towel from around her bodice before she dipped one toe into the tepid, fragrant pool. She sighed with pleasure. The water was just right. Sigyn's heart sunk deep into her chest as she submerged her body into the sweet-smelling waters of her porcelain tub. She was finally getting the chance to soak her aching limbs. All day she'd longed to lavish herself from head to toe in soft scented waters and put ointments in her hair to give it a pleasant scent and to scrub her aching feet and clean of all the nasty purple goo that was stuck on her feet from smashing and mashing grapes. The old women hadn't taken time with her feet because her feet would not be seen. But her tes were still stained with the juice of the vine. She scrubbed every toes clean ran her fingers through her hair as she poured botanical oils into her mane to remove the nasty, dirty, musky smell that still lingered. She lathered herself in the water infused with sea salts to heal her wounds. She added oil of jasmine and chamomile to her bath to help soothe her mind and her over worked muscles. But such pampering and luxury did little to settle Sigyn's reeling mind or to calm her worried heart.

She slipped down into the pool allowing her whole body to be lost under of a blanket fluffy, white suds. She leaned her head against a silk pillow the color of a golden coin, Marmi had sweetly set up the little pillow in the tub for her new mistress. She also had lit a few tranquil sandalwood candles to burn around the bath tub. As Sigyn leaned her head back against they plush, silk pillow her lower lip started to tremble viciously and silent tears trailed down from her beautiful amber eyes to her tanned cheeks.

It was settled. Everything was set in stone or at least in papyrus. Tomorrow at noon she was to marry Lord Theoic. It was a marriage and not wedding and Theoic had been sure to stress that to the magistrate. A wedding was an elaborate celebration, for family and friends and feasting and frolicking. With fancy and expensive decorations and loud music song by overpriced bards. There would be none of that. They would say simple vows that had been written by the magistrate and Lord Theoic. Then they would go to Theoic's chambers to consummate the marriage.

Magistrate Hans wrote up the marriage contract between her and Lord Theoic in front of her eyes. The magistrate was polite and eager when he wrote up the marriage contract. He kept congratulating them and saying how happy he was for Theoic and her. She tried to smile and act as if she was thrilled to be a new bride, but inwardly she was cringing. Her wedding day would not even be a day that she would remember most likely it would be a simple civic ceremony in front of strangers.

After the elderly official was finished congratulating them and toasting them about children they had not yet had, he began to ask them a series of questions. She supposed the questioning was customary: questions about bride-price and dowry, about lineage, about estates and property and heirs. At some point the conversation went over Sigyn's head. There were so many numbers and figures and taxes and assets. When her marriage contract had been drawn up with Loki, she hadn't been present. Traditionally such negotiations were usually on attended by men. Of course a woman could come if she wanted to, but she hadn't really cared to attend. She was more excited about choosing the bouquets for her bridesmaids and thinking about the food and venue and of course her dress.

Lord Theoic answered most of the questions for her. She supposed it was for the best. She didn't know what her father had given as a dowry. Her sister had described it as modest, her mother had called it generous after the disgrace she had caused the family, Theoic described it as meager. Magistrate Hans, seemed tentative about writing the marriage contract without a male member of Sigyn's family present. But Theoic expressed how Admiral Arn practically begged for him to take Sigyn as a wife. Sigyn couldn't help, but feel ashamed. Did her father really beg, was he so eager to be rid of her? She loved her father dearly, they had always been close when she was a girl, but now he couldn't even look at her. She knew that he considered her a liability. An unwed daughter was generally just considered a burden on the family. If Sigyn would have been smarter she supposed she would not have been considered such a burden, she could have found work. Had she studied more she could have become a healer or schoolmistress or bard or minstrel or a Valkyrie, if she was just a little more skilled with needle and thread maybe she could have become a seamstress, but she wasn't so smart or so incredibly talented that she could have truly developed a promising career for herself. But she had never taken time to develop herself. She had wanted to be the wife of a Einherjar.

The contract specified that Sigyn was to be Lord Theoic's second wife. It stated what she brought to the marriage in her bridal dowry. The sum of which was meager even for the daughter of a pig farmer. It specified the sum Theoic had given to Lord Arn as a bride price. Theoic honestly hadn't paid much to receive her as a bride, but in comparison to what her father had provided for her in the dowry it seemed like a king's ransom. Lastly, it stated what she was to be entitled to as a second wife. It wasn't much As customary, Lord Theoic had to prove he could provide equally for his two wives, but Tyra was entitled to the majority of the property and Lord Theoic's assets. Most of what Sigyn was entitled to was contingent upon the fact that she actually produce children for Lord Theoic. It finally stated that any and all property of hers was now that of Lord Theoic's. Sigyn had cringed as she heard those words read out loud. She thought of the necklace. Loki had given it to her! Theoic had no right to take it! Well according to the piece of parchment that housed their marriage contract he did, but still why wouldn't he just return it to the palace? She hated to think of something so rare and beautiful just being tossed on the back of some peddlers wagon. Why hadn't Magistrate Han's protested? Surely as an official of the court he knew that property of the crown couldn't be bartered for personal gain. But she supposed now it was too late.

The only thing left to was perform ceremony and Magistrate Hans had agreed to conduct it at noon tomorrow. He would read the rites over them, make them repeat the vows in the contract, have them exchange rings and they would be man and wife. She would be Sigyn Arndottir, Second Wife of Lord Theoic of the Dales. It was all so final and so completely unromantic. There would be no lacy, white wedding dress, no confetti and ribbons and streamers, no temple decorated to the nines, no music played, no wedding feast no friends or family to celebrate. Just her and Theoic and a bedroom. She wasn't looking forward to being Theoic's wife. He was a cowardly sort of man. He had been too cowardly to defend her in front of the king and Prince Loki and even though she could understand why it still didn't make his cowardice any less disheartening. He was too cowardly to defend his home against the ruthless invaders who had attacked them. That almost made her angry. She was not a warrior by profession, though like everyone in Asgard she had training in weaponry. She wanted to take up arms and fight and do all she could to defeat the Dark-Elves and save Asgard, she at least wanted to be by her queen's side. Theoic wanted to do nothing but cower in his country estate. She realized she couldn't even trust him to defend her against the cruelty of Tyra.

Sigyn couldn't help it but cry harder the more she thought about that. She genuinely wanted to have a positive relationship with Tyra. If they were going to have to live with one another for centuries and centuries she wanted them to at least be friends. A life in the country seemed so boring and lonely without any friends or family to share it with. She wanted that. She'd always thrived on friendship, but Tyra had made it painfully obvious that she didn't want to be friends. Tyra hated her from the start and had every intention on making her life at Kelby a living nightmare. Honestly, Sigyn didn't know if she could survive day after day of such treatment. She couldn't take someone yelling at her constantly or someone who was always critical and condescending, she didn't want to be beaten verbally or physically and Tyra had already done both in just one days time. She could only imagine her getting more vicious as time went on. Was she to be made into a step-child in a place that she was supposed to call home? Was she truly to spend her days as a concubine and a slave in Lord Theoic's house? Doing back-breaking labor. She wasn't sure she could handle many more days like that. She thought for sure she would die of exhaustion if Tyra made her work day and night without end. Sigyn supposed that if she loved Theoic it wouldn't really matter. If you loved somebody, you could endure any pain for that person. You could suffer, but it wouldn't even feel like suffering if you were really in love, but she wasn't really in love with Theoic. She wanted to be a good wife to Theoic. Once he was her husband she intended to be faithful to him, obedient, caring, respectful after all she was raised to be such as a wife and she intended to be. She would care for him and her children that she had with him if she had any children. She would do her best to work hard and make the farm run properly, she would try to be respectful of Lady Tyra and she would try to find pleasure in her life in the Dales all though she doubted she would ever call the place home or truly be in love with Theoic.

After a few moments more of lamenting in her bath water, Sigyn finally decided to pry herself from the cool pool and settle into her night-clothes. She was exhausted. She had worked harder in this one day than she had in her whole life and all she wanted to do was sleep. It would be the last night she would have to herself before her marriage to Theoic. She supposed soon she would share her bed, every night. She gulped at the thought as she slipped her wet tanned body into a silk bathrobe that the servant girl, Marmi laid out for her.

She walked to her bed. It looked more inviting than ever and she was simply ready to collapse. She walked slowly to the bed and rolled back the covers and slipped into the bed. The sheets were cool and soft and comfortable and clean. Her body melted into the cloud-like mattress. It massaged the aching contours along her lower back and spine. She yawned and stretched and curled into a ball as she rolled over to embrace one of the fluffy embroidered pillows on her bed. She was tired but she couldn't sleep her mind still continued to swirl. It was for greater than her arranged marriage to Theoic. Of course that had her nerves set on edge. But it was far much more nerve-wracking than that: Convergence was a mere three days hence and all Theoic tried to overlook it Convergence was coming and all of Asgard, all the Realms could be plunged into darkness. No matter what Theoic said she knew that all of Asgard had a roll to play. Theoic may have been able to shirk off his duties to Asgard but she could not. She had a duty to her queen. She had a duty to Asgard. Upon her graduation from the Academy she had pledged that she would always be loyal to her king and kingdom and do all within her power to uphold its honor. She had promised Queen Frigga that she would look after Loki. And she had promised Lady Jane, that she would give the scroll to Prince Loki.

She knew how important that tiny scroll was...for the future of Asgard, but also for Loki. Maybe even more importantly for Loki. It could make all the difference for him. She knew that something happened the night when she had gone to Loki to confess her love. But it was all such a blur. When she thought of that night it was like seeing through a clouded mirror. She could only catch glimpses of fuzzy images. She could see Loki talking to some strange, dark figure. She could hear a voice rough as nails grating on chalk talking with him, but she couldn't make out the words. They were garbled and muffled. She tried focus harder. She closed her eyes and concentrated trying to catch the details of the conversation with the mysterious being. The deeper she thought the more confusing the situation became. How did that caped creature even get into the dungeons. The dungeons were locked tight, the doors were double enforced with steel and iron. No one went in or out without a key. She shook her head. She knew she was getting distracted, but distractions often came when she focused too long or too hard on difficult matters. She tried to concentrate once more. She saw the face of the imposing figure that loomed over Loki's quaking and writhing body turn to her. She couldn't make out the face, but something was distinct: a sick smile full of blood-red teeth! The image jolted her. It made her sit up out of her bath water and fling open her amber eyes. She was relieved to find she was sitting in a pleasant-looking powder room, decorated with feminine rose petal carvings on the ceiling, reclining in a porcelain tub with sweet aromas wafting in her nostrils and not in a white-walled cell facing that terrible beast.

She got up the courage to try to focus once more after taking a few deep breaths. She could see Loki when he got off up the floor, it was the first time she had seen his flesh in its normally beautiful alabaster hue in a long time. All though his skin had returned to that of a normal Asgardian, Loki was wild-eyed and frantic, more crazed than she had seen him in all the time she had tended to him. In fact in the time she had tended to him, besides for random fits in moments of true frustration or sheer pain, Loki had been docile and gentle. Perhaps it was because he was ill. Perhaps it was because he was blind. She tried to replay in her mind the things that Loki had said to her. She could see his glowing emerald eyes giddy and teetering on the verge of madness, be still she thought they were beautiful, but still she was in no ways able to remember the things Loki had said. It was as if a barrier had been placed around her mind to keep her forgetful. Lady Sigyn felt simple and dull, moreso than usual. Se tried to press pass the stupid feeling that fell over her, but the more she tried to press into her memory bank the mistier and shiftier the images became. Almost instantly, Loki's eyes flashed before her. First she saw his whole face, handsome, keen featured, flawless ivory skin, with a smug, easy, telltale smirk displayed across his severe lips and his eyes...his dazzling, entrancing emerald eyes. Those gorgeous green gems started to whirl and swirl about like a pin wheel, mixing with gold like two snakes entwining in a serpentine dance. And Sigyn felt helplessly locked into staring into those hypnotic jade pupils. Even as she was sitting in her comforting bath she could feel her own eyes starting to spin in the pattern same as Loki's. She could feel her head bobbing along. All of a sudden she felt light-headed and dizzy and all the more confused. Her head started pounding and throbbing in the most vicious of ways. Sigyn felt nauseous.

The next thing she remembered was her and Loki's coming to together in a blissful kiss. She remembered feeling for the first time in all their time together like he kissed her like he truly loved her. But all at once the kiss that had stirred her very soul and curled toes was done away with and she felt Loki's cold hands grip her forcefully around the forearm and thrust her against the energy charged force-field that kept him at bay. She felt her whole body sizzle and burn once more.

She couldn't recall all that had transpired during their meeting. Part of it was blocked from her memory like a great magic infused wall that would not come down. But she knew that whatever had happened between Loki and that bloody toothed fiend had something to do with the attack on Asgard. It had something to do with the Dark Elves. And maybe Loki had something to do with it too. It was a horrible thought, something that she couldn't believe. It was something that she refused to believe. Because no matter what anyone said about Loki, Sigyn could never truly believe that he was truly vile and evil. She could never truly be convinced that wanted to be a monster. In her minds' eyes she could see him standing by Dagmar's funeral pyre. His whole body trembling in that moment as he took her cold hands in his. She could hear him whispering things to her in gasping, shuddering sobs. It hadn't been that she was trying to eavesdrop or trying to spy on him in those personal, intimate moments, no it hadn't been that at all. She had just been concerned for him, guards were patrolling the corridor around the crypt, she didn't want him to get caught. She replayed his thin, firm lips dipping down to softly kiss Dagmar's ghostly, white brow and then her full, but dried pomegranate lips. She'd watched silently in the shadows, behind a column, tears flowed down her own cheeks, seeing him so broken with grief hurt her to the core and she desired to comfort him as she saw him fall to his knees and sob for the Vanir Prime Minister's daughter while still clutching her stiff hand. And when she came to him and looked at his tearful jade eyes they were so lost in turmoil, he seemed so shattered and lost at sea, so miserable, broken and fragile. She wanted to help, comfort him, console him, but he was beyond her consolation. He lashed out at her, yelled at her, made her feel small and foolish for even daring to speak with him at that time. His tone had been biting and angry, nearly merciless, but his eyes...those deep and entrancing emerald pool, they had not been cold and full of malice. They'd been weak and pleading and full of a sorrow that was nearly childlike...not understanding why someone he loved so much had been taken away from him. True monsters didn't feel like that... a real monster didn't mourn for anyone...ever. So she couldn't believe when people said that about him and it was because she knew of the goodness that was in him that she'd wanted...no needed...to get back to the Imperial City.

The contents of the scroll could change the outcome of the war and the Convergence. By chance the scroll told of a baby that was still alive. A baby who needed a father. Maybe Loki would be inspired to turn away from his dark and sinister plans and fight along the side of Asgard. This tiny parchment scroll tied up in a single red ribbon could decide the very fate of the Nine Realms. Her heart thumped in her chest as the enormity of the situation over took her once more. She hadn't thought of the scroll for some days now. She rushed from laying under her bed to retrieve it from her brown cloak.

Of course that all depended she supposed upon what the letter said. There was of course the flip-side. She panicked. She pressed the scroll against her bosom protectively and then brought her free hand up so that she could nibble at her fingernails like a rabbit nibbling at a carrot. What if the midwife ad wrote back to say that she did away with babe, left the child to die. Oh it would be a dreadful, monstrous act surely not an act that a midwife would perform. But then again Lord Olaf Dirkson had been a powerful man. Would a lowly midwife really have disobeyed her master's orders? What if she returned to the Palace and rushed the letter to Loki only for it to reveal the child was dead. Perhaps it would shatter him send him into a fitful rage. It could be the last straw to push him over the edge. Between being a redeemable soul and a damned one.

No she couldn't think like that, she slammed her eyes shut. She had to think po and redeem himself. That was all that Lady Dagmar had ever really wanted for him and in all honesty, that was all she wanted for him as well. All she wanted for him was redemption, happiness and love. She realized that she may never be the one to love him, at least not in the way she wanted to love him, but she could give him this scroll and maybe the contents would kindle his heart. Perhaps inside the rolled up parchment there would be evidence that a piece of his love for Lady Dagmar still survived and maybe in that way she would have finally pleased him. She wanted that most of all.

With that notion firmly planted in her mind Lady Sigyn spring from the comfortable bed. She dashed around her room quickly and as quietly as possible. She pulled on a warm riding dress. She gathered a makeshift satchel and filled it with a few garments. A couple a dresses, some more night-clothes and a few pairs of shoes. It was a light parcel, perfect for travel. She didn't have any provisions for the ride back to Asgard. It was more than a 2 day ride. She'd need food and water. She certainly didn't know how to pitch a tent or start a fire to camp out and she doubt she had enough money for a night at a tavern on in. She only had 14 copper coins and few silver pieces. Marmi had provided her with a cup a tea, a bowl of grapes and some bread and cheese in the night, but that wasn't enough for a two days journey, but it might be enough to make it to her parents small estate a few towns away. From there maybe she could convince her father to help return to the Imperial City. It was a long shot, long and risky, but it was a risk she had to take...for Asgard...for Loki. Because perhaps she would return to The Imperial City and give him the scroll and he'd read it and his heart would kindle with hope. Then Perhaps for once she would have pleased him.

Sigyn had gathered the belongings she was packing and slung them over her shoulder in a neat little satchel. What she had would have to do. The hours were ticking away. She needed the cover of night to make her escape. Because as soon as it was sun up the servants in Theoic's house would be rising in what she expected would be preparation for their wedding. Theoic didn't intend to have much of a celebration but he would at least feed the guests that Magistrate Hans had brought along, he also would have the maid servants make up a honeymoon suite for them. At least that is what he had said before. No she needed to be up and out way before first light.

Still, Sigyn didn't feel quite right about running like a thief in the night. After all Theoic was to be her husband. Soon she would owe him all legal obedience and devotion. She wanted to show him that even though she would be gone once he had awakened that she would return. An idea popped in her head. Quickly, she dashed over to her neat, white wood writing desk, with the roll back top. She brought the oil lamp that had been by her nightstand over to the writing desk. She pulled some of the stationary out of the drawers. It wasn't necessarily fancy, but it had at least been stained pink along the edges. It was pretty. She tried to roll out the long sheet of pink parchment, but it kept curling back up. Sigyn grew nervous, she searched for a paperweight. She fumbled through the drawers. She was making a racket, she tried to keep quiet, but she was pressed to the minute. Finally she found a heavy lead ball. It certainly wasn't an elegant, dainty, little trinket like the kinds that she had in her chambers in the palace or in the home of her of family, but it would do. She slammed it down on the wood, all too loudly. She cringed expecting for someone to come in and check on her. Sigyn bit her glossy pink lip as she anticipated apprehension, but she was amazed to find nothing happened.

She started to scrawl a little note on the stationary. She wanted to explain herself. She was no good with words and even worse with words on paper than she was when she just spoke them plainly, but she had to try to convey to Theoic that She had no intention of abandoning him. And she had every intention of returning to him and fulfilling the commitment that her father had made for her, but not until she had seen that the precious little scroll had made its way successfully into Loki's hand. After that nothing would be in her control. Asgard's fate, the fate of the realms and Loki's fate would all be left to the will of the Norns and of time. Her father had promised him her hand and she had no right to undo an agreement that her father had made. She attempted to finish the letter, but in her haste she accidentally knocked over the little ink pitcher, the black liquid spilled all over. Sigyn panicked she darted around her room trying to find some cloths to clean the ink spots up, but she couldn't. Besides there was no more time. She had to go.

Sigyn took a deep and steadying breath. She didn't think she'd ever done anything so naughty before. Well perhaps she had but not things like this. She wasn't the type of girl to run away from home, although she had sneaked out the house a few times to attend a tavern party or go to a casino, but this...well this...she could be severely punished for, flogged even. She started to get cold feet. Maybe it was all nonsense! What was she thinking? Theoic would be furious. Her father would be even angrier and Loki...Loki had made it clear that he did not wish to see her. Sigyn shook her head refusing to listen to all the convincing voices telling her she was foolish and this was a fool's errand. She girded herself, flung the window open and felt the cool, crisp autumn night air against her face. It chilled her nearly to the bone and she wrapped her cape tighter around her. She stepped to the edged of the windowsill, ducking down to miss bumping her head on the window frame. Then she carefully reached out both her left hand and left foot to reach the tree and she was able to climb down the tree and escape to the stables.

A/N Well how did you like it? I wasn't completely pleased with it myself, but I think it is a necessary chapter. I think you are all going to love the next chapter it is the big one that we have been waiting for! Thanks again God Bless