I have returned from the wilds, with two new chapters (although part six needs a quick bit of fixing before it's ready…I should be posting it before tomorrow anyway)

Sorry this chapter is a little shorter, but I really felt this was the best place to end it, the next one should be longer!

Made one little change in formatting to note (and I'll go back and fix the other chapters when I get a chance)

"this is talking on the other end of a phone conversation"

"this is talking in Old Norse"

Hope that reduces confusion and whatnot!

Oh yes, and ENJOY!

Loki's Plan, Part 5

The hour it took Mayura to wake seemed like an eternity to Loki.  Although he was happy enough to sit and hold her in his lap, he was not looking forward to having to explain, and the longer it took her to wake the more time he had to think about what her possible reactions might be.  He didn't even really know how she felt about him, although she hadn't seemed adverse to the snuggling and kisses earlier, not to mention the slightly-more-than-kisses they'd been engaged in when the Norns arrived.  Even for him women were unpredictable things, though, and he'd never been a genius at reading them.  Witness Freya's obsession with him as evidence.  He'd had no idea how she felt until she had tried to kill him, but after that looking back, he realized he really ought to have known how she felt, as she'd made it - if not obvious - at least pretty clear if you were paying attention.

Mayura murmured and began to wake, turning over in his lap and burrowing into it to avoid the lights on her sleepy eyes, and Loki was hard-pressed to remain... calm.  As she woke up a little further, however, she seemed to realize where she was and she blushed and turned back over to look up at him.

"Loki?" she asked sleepily.

"Hai, it's me, Mayura.  How are you feeling now?" he asked solicitously.

She sat up and smiled.  "Lots better, my headache is gone and everything.  But Loki, the Norns said something about me being somebody called Sigyn?  They seemed to think it was funny for some reason, and they said you would have to tell me what it meant."

Loki sighed.  "I couldn't persuade you to let me put off the explanation for a few years,  could I?" he asked with a slightly ironic smile.

Mayura frowned.

"I thought not."  He sighed again. "Well, the simple explanation is this:  As do all living things, I have a wyrdWyrd is an Old Norse word, and it's a bit difficult to translate into Japanese, but in the simplest terms, it could be equated with 'unmei' or fate, and 'yogen' or prophecy.  I have known for a long time about the wyrd I will have, and how it intertwines with those of the various Aesir and Vanir.  Part of that destiny is that I will have three special women in my life, the third of whom  I have yet to meet.  That third woman has always been referred to in the prophecies as an Aesir, and her name is given as Sigyn - which means "the faithful one" in Old Norse - since she will stay by my side through troubles I will face."

"What troubles?" Mayura asked, a worried frown creasing her forehead.

"You don't need to worry about that, it shouldn't come to be an issue for some time yet," he reassured her.

"Wait... You said her name is Sigyn?  You mean I'm..." Her eyes widened.

Loki's grin was completely unfeigned this time.  "Yes, you're that same Sigyn the legends speak of...  My second wife and mother to my youngest children."

"oh." she said and looked away, a bright blush forming on her cheeks.

"That doesn't bother you does it?" he asked softly, "That you will be my wife?"  He tilted her face up to look at him.

"Noooo...." she shook her head, "It's all just a little sudden is all..."

Loki laughed.  "You're telling me!  I almost had fits when the Norns told me who you were, but I'm not upset about it, just surprised that you're here in Japan on Midgard and born mortal, instead of in the Norse lands or Asgard and born to the Aesir."

"So, I will be Loki's wife..." Mayura mused thoughtfully.

"It doesn't have to be right away if you don't feel you're ready yet." Loki said, stroking her cheek, "I can wait a little while, I'm not completely without patience you know."

Mayura leaned into his hand and smiled.  "I graduate from high school in a month..."

"The Norns told me we have to wait a couple of weeks before I can make you fully mine in any case." Loki said softly as he leaned in to kiss her.

She moaned and abandoned herself completely into his embrace, and he had to physically hold himself back from taking her then and there.  She just felt so good and right in his arms.

Outside the door, Fenrir snickered in a most un-wolflike manner and wagged his tail once, then trotted back to the kitchen where Yamino was making dinner.

"Things seem to have gone over pretty well, it looks like the mystery girl doesn't have any problem with becoming Daddy's wife." he reported with a tongue-lolling wolfish grin.

"Are they coming down then?" Yamino asked.

"No way!" Fenrir laughed.  "But maybe I should go up and get Daddy, given what he said the Norns instructed."

"What was that, Niisan?"

Fenrir explained what he had overheard, and the amusement was plain in his voice.  And on Yamino's face as well, as he listened.

Loki finally pulled back from the kiss and looked down at Mayura.  Her gaze, when she returned it, was somewhat unfocused, but definitely not unhappy.

"I'm so glad you didn't leave yesterday," she whispered.

"So am I." Loki laughed.  He rubbed her back soothingly.  "I knew there was something about you that called to me and made it so I couldn't just leave you here."

Mayura snuggled into Loki and smiled into his chest.  Then she laughed.  "Papa's going to have a fit," she said.

Loki laughed out loud and fell backwards onto the bed, drawing Mayura down with him so that she lay partly on top of him.  "Mayura-papa is going to have a few fits, since I'll have to explain all of the story.  Seeing as how his daughter will be a Goddess and all..."

"Loki, will I have to go away to this 'Asgard' place?" Mayura asked more seriously, "Once I turn into Sigyn, I mean."

"Maybe eventually, but I wasn't planning on heading back there just yet myself.  Once I calmed down a little from being incensed about his treatment of my daughter Hel, I realized that if I'm going to confront Odin I will need some sort of an advantage or edge that he doesn't know about.  I do no honor to her memory by attacking mindlessly." he said sadly.

"You're so sure that she died..."  Mayura tried to think of some way to comfort Loki.  She knew how hurt she had felt when she realized her mother was dead and not coming back, and she imagined he must feel even worse at the loss of his daughter.

"I'm pretty sure," he said solemnly.  "She had used up so much of her energy and life force just to appear normal and operate here on Midgard that when I finally calmed her she was like a guttering candle, and then she just... let go.  I would like to hope she merely returned to her realm of Niflheim, but I simply don't think she had the strength left at that point."

Mayura could almost hear the tears in his voice, although he wasn't actually crying, so she shifted up to shyly kiss him.  It was the first time she had initiated a kiss between them so it was tentative and a little awkward, but it seemed to be just what Loki needed.

"Thank you." he whispered and gently drew her all the way on top of him then rolled, propping himself over her on his elbows.  Then he laughed.  "You just quit encouraging me, jouchan.  I told you what the Norns said."

"I encourage you?  You hardly seem to need encouragement!" she laughed breathlessly as Loki moved his kisses down her neck and loosened her top to expose her collarbones again.  He trailed his lips along the left, which he had marked earlier, soothing the passion-marks.

"I will admit I'm pretty easy to encourage.  Although I may not claim you fully yet, I want to, so I'll ask this first:  May I stake my claim upon your person and your heart now, so that we both know it, even if the rest of the world does not?" he asked formally in Old Norse, "May I place my lips upon you as your intended?"

Mayura knew, somewhere inside, that there was more to these words than there seemed, and she felt sure that there was something specific she should say in return.  She opened her mouth and the words came almost without thinking.  "My heart is already yours, and my person shall be so when you deem it is time.  You are indeed my intended, and should so place your lips to me that all might know our pledge."

Loki breathed deeply, drinking in the sweet scent of her as he placed his lips over her heart and kissed her there, drawing her flesh into his mouth to leave a livid red mark which would just be visible at the base of her school uniform's collar.

"Now all will know you are spoken for, and they must answer to me if they touch you." he said as he looked up at her, completing the ritual.

"How did I know those words?  Mystery!" Mayura said softly as she looked down at Loki.

He just laughed and kissed her one more time before reluctantly sitting her up and rearranging her top, this time to show off the mark to its best effect, and helping her out of bed.

"Come on, we should leave this room before I forget myself and take things farther than I should." he said, taking her hand as he opened the door.