A/N: I probably should have introduced myself earlier but hello! This story is almost completed, so updates will be weekly. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Chapter 3

"And just what exactly was the goal behind your little trick?"

Loki exhaled long and hard. It was maddening to live amongst people whose sense of humor was inferior to his own. His entire life, they had never understood that his tricks were simply for his own amusement, or in the case of the most recent event, to get him out of doing something he did not want to do.

"It was not a trick, Father. I was overcome with fatigue from the day, so I allowed a projection to take my place." Loki refrained from adding that it would have worked if Thor had not decided to swing that risible hammer so close to his illusion that it went straight through his head. (He had heard the story from his mother as she walked with him from the throne room).

Odin leaned forward, disbelief abound in his eye. "Funny. You do not look fatigued now."

"I'm very good at masking it." Behind his father, Frigga's lips twitched. She shook her head from side to side, as if to tell him not to push his luck, and he obliged. "However, I understand now that it should not have been done. No more tricks during public celebrations. You have my word." Odin hmphed.

"I would prefer there be no tricks at all. Knowing you, I suppose that's asking too much. If you were a child, I'd send you straight to your chambers and disallow you from partaking in the merriment." Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His father was acting as though he had committed a crime. All he had really done was give the citizens a good fright, and some of the weaker ones a mild syncope. Even Thor, last seen guzzling a pint of ale, had forgotten the incident already.

"That's enough." Ah. Mother dearest to the rescue.

Frigga stepped down from beside Odin, a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He understands, and he meant no harm. More importantly he caused no harm, unlike our forces in Muspelheim that I believe are getting a bit too rough with the locals. Perhaps you should turn your attentions to getting them to operate with a lighter touch?"

For just a moment, Loki held his breath. His mother was a fierce woman; kind and wise the same. She would never disrespect her husband, the king, yet she was always finding ways to intervene in his disagreements with Loki and bring them to a halt. This command disguised as a suggestion was just one of the latest ways.

"Fine." His father was not pleased. Nevertheless, with Loki toeing the submissive and his mother playing peacemaker, there was no need to keep the conversation going. So, he waved his hand to dismiss them. "Go. Have fun. Try not to cause any more trouble for the night."

Loki nodded his head, making to leave with haste. He felt as though his time had been wasted, time taken away from a celebration with ale, dancing, and Sigrid. Sigrid, whom he had not seen in a month and had loads of stories to tell. The only reason he had not told them through letters was because he wanted to tell her face to face, to see her eyes light up and hear her laughter as he wove the tales to life with his tongue.

"Son." Loki turned to see his mother hurrying after him. He slowed his long strides to allow her to catch up. When she did, she slid her hand around the arm he had offered to her. "I should hope you're not scurrying away from me." He cracked a smile.

"Of course not. You're thinking of the other parental unit." If his mother heard the bitterness in his voice, she did not react. "I suppose you've come to tell me not to take his disapproval to heart?"

Frigga hummed. "On the contrary. I'm here to tell you that I'm proud of you." She brought them to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Raucous laughter erupted from down the hall, drawing both their attention. He turned just in time to see Fandral and Thor leading Sigrid away from the ballroom, the latter keeping a tight hold of the girl's elbow. Their faces were red with delight, stirring a sense of longing in Loki's chest to go be with his friend-specifically one. "I will let you go to your Sigrid in a moment-"

"She's not my Sigrid." His response was automatic, a repetition at this point seeing as it was the umpteenth time someone had made an implicit reference to his friendship with the princess.

His mother stared into his eyes, something resembling amusement in her own. She wanted to comment, he knew, and would have if the side of his mouth was not set so firm. "One of my ladies has a friend in Alfheim. A lady herself in the Queen's service. Apparently, she was quite impressed with the way you handled the negotiations. Your father has decided that you'll be spearheading them henceforth that he cannot attend himself. He's appointing you as an ambassador."

Loki blinked, searching his mother's face for any sigh of a joke. "I…".

"Have I rendered you speechless?" The smirk on her face was evident. People had often said it was the only feature he and his mother shared. "You. My son that loves talking more than anything?"

"Why did he not say any of that just now?" Loki threw his hands up. "Instead of reprimanding me for such a silly little thing—which was not even intended to be a trick by the way. I just had somewhere to be." That same knowing smirk took over his mother's countenance again.

"Yes, well. You know how your father is. He's never been good with affirmations." Here, she placed a hand under his chin. "Luckily I am, and I am so proud of you."

"Thank you." Loki did not push her away when she tip-toed to place a kiss on his cheek.

"And I also wanted to let you know that your father approved your request to take Sigrid to the festival this year."

"Are you serious? He agreed?"

The thrill of Loki's response caused his mother to issue a warning. "There are conditions, of course, one being that you or Thor must be with her at all times. Your father was serious about that."

"Yes, yes of course." He brushed off her concerns with a wave of his hand, then leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek. "At all times. Thank you, mother. I must go find Sigrid now."

"Yes," she agreed, amusement alight in her eyes again. "You must."

ooOOoo

It was not hard to find his way to his brother. After bidding his mother a goodnight, Loki took off in the direction he had seen him earlier. A little bit of walking later, he heard the familiar, rumbling voice.

"—and when I swung my hammer, he cowered in fear! Dropped to the ground like a baby bird attempting to fly for the first time—" Thor's loud boasting drew him to a room they all frequented. It was private; reserved for when they returned from battle or just wanted to be away from the crowds.

Volstagg sat closest to the door, a platter of assorted meats in his hand. His voracious devouring made Loki a bit queasy. His eyes skipped over the robust warrior and sought out the other inhabitants of the room. There was Fandral reclining on the divan, arms folded behind his head. Sif was on the floor at his feet. She was laughing at Thor as he recanted his story, waving his arms around in glee. Sigrid sat by herself on a smaller couch, legs folded under her. There was a goblet of wine in her hand, the other covering her mouth as she giggled at Thor's antics.

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed, catching sight of him. "Come! Help me tell the story of how I vanquished that rude elf!"

Loki bypassed the free duplicate divan to squeeze in next to Sigrid. The chair had no arms, just a flat square with a cushioned back. The two of them could have fit on it with ease as children. Now, both grown up, Loki had to snake an arm around her waist to prevent either of them from falling off.

"The elf was not being rude," he reminded his brother. Sigrid leaned into him, allowing him a whiff of her curly hair. The scent of wild berries pleased his nostrils. He caught some of her thick locks between two fingers, twirling the end as he continued speaking. "He was just asking if he could stow your hammer away."

"The hammer stays with me at all times!" A hint of betrayal entered Thor's voice, as though he could not believe his brother was defending the elf. Spurred on, Loki decided to take it a bit further.

"And how was he supposed to know? Your attachment to that thing is unhealthy. Maybe you could use some time away." At this, Sigrid lightly elbowed him in the ribs. Even from this angle Loki could see a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Loud clangs echoed through the hallway, the unmistakable sound of a dense object crashing into—or through—walls and doors. Screams and gasps were heard from the gathered crowd, followed by the telltale whoosh of Mjolnir as it flew through the room and found itself in the hand of the blond demigod.

He tilted the hammer towards Loki, eyes filled with ferocity. "No one is ever taking this hammer away from me."

"Like I said. Unhealthy."

"Alright." Sigrid's voice cut through the dawning quarrel. "Here," she handed Loki her goblet, half filled with a dark red wine. "Put something else besides your foot in your mouth. Thor, nobody is taking Mjolnir from you. Loki is teasing."

"He teases a lot," Thor sulked, dropping to a seat near Sif. "It's mean."

"He iss mean," Sif agreed, words slurred. Loki stifled a snort. The maiden could handle her spirits well, and it was rare that they ever got the best of her. Tonight seemed to be an exception. "Did you know he cut my hair?"

"He stabbed me as a child once," Thor spoke up. "We were eight. Pretended to be a snake!"

"No!" Sif's gasp was so comical that Loki could not contain his laughter. He let out a chuckle that drew annoyed looks from both parties. Sif's was downright furious. It sort of made him want to cut her hair again, just to see how she would react.

"Apologize," Sigrid whispered under her breath.

"For what?" He wanted to know. "Her hair? She already beat me up." Not that he cared much. He had sustained much worse injuries in battle. The pain she instilled was nothing.

"Perhapsss I ssshould do it again." The maiden tried to rise to her feet, wobbling with the movement. She would have fallen over had Fandral not grabbed ahold of her.

"I think that's enough mead for you." He plucked the flask from her hand and guided her back to the floor. Thor, well on his way to fullness, patted her head with one large hand.

"Fandral, I do think that's the first time I've seen you stop someone from drinking. Is it possible you've turned over a leaf in my time away?" Loki asked him, taking a sip from the goblet. Sigrid's usual lip stain had left a mark on the rim. The taste of vanilla blossomed on his tongue before it was washed away by the wine. He had often wondered what flavour the gloss had carried and found the subtle scent suited her.

"Not a new leaf, but the loss of a maiden. Beautiful little thing she was." Fandral let out a wistful sigh, a faraway look in his eye. "A shame she had to go back to her husband." Loki choked on the wine.

"I'm sure there's another woman right around the corner," Sigrid sympathized. Her hand was alternating between rubbing Loki's back and patting it as he coughed out the remaining liquid. "Might I suggest going after one that is not already involved? You're lucky this one's husband remained unaware. Do you remember what happened the last time?"

"Yes," Fandral gave a dramatic nod. "Thank you, Loki, for fixing my nose with your magic. I was afraid that my face would be forever marred."

"So afraid that you went after another married woman?" Loki tutted. "One would say that's not smart."

Instead of replying, Fandral rose from his seat as though remembering something important. "You know, there was a fair little thing that arrived a few days ago. She gave me the eye on the way here. I should go find her and keep her entertained."

"Make sure she's not married," Sigrid called as he left the room. He passed Volstagg on his way out, now sleeping with a full belly. The round man's mouth was open with snores. A look to his left showed Loki that Thor and Sif were speaking in low tones, her flask back in her hand. She must have stolen it back when Fandral was leaving.

"How bad was it?" Sigrid's voice was soft near his ear. He gave her a quizzical look, to which she elaborated, "The tongue lashing from your father."

"The usual. 'Loki, you play too many tricks. Loki, you need to stop. Loki, I should send you to your chambers'." He did his best to mimic his father's deep tones, even closing one eye and puffing out his chest.

"Your room?" Sigrid giggled. "He said that?"

"Yes," Loki nodded, "but he also appointed me as an ambassador. I'll be handling the negotiations from now on as he sees fit."

Sigrid moved into a kneeling position on the couch. "Really?" Her grin was so infectious it drew one from him as well. "Loki that's great!" Both her hands came to rest on either of his shoulders. "This is exciting! Think of how much more travels you'll get to embark on! I'm actually a bit jealous."

"I can take you with me," he offered. "That is, if you wanted."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Come." They both stood, bidding goodbyes to deaf ears as they traipsed out of the room. Sigrid slid both her tiny hands around his bicep, settling into a slow pace as she steered them towards the bedrooms. "I received a letter from papa today. There's a bit more to read, but he's hopeful that I shall be able to go home soon."

Loki's steps faltered. "G-go home? For good?" From the day Sigrid had arrived on Asgard her days had been numbered. Loki had first thought she would only stay a few months— maybe a year—and then those years stretched into decades and decades into centuries until he had all but forgotten that her stay here was conditional.

Their friendship had started off rocky, with him not knowing how to handle the compelling girl who was sad all the time and would snap right back at him when he gave a sarcastic remark. She would meet him word for word, insult for insult, and soon this animosity turned to curiosity. He felt drawn to the girl who irritated him so, yet she had her finer moments. She did not laugh at Loki when he got knocked down during training because the other boys were bigger than him, nor did she disparage his knack for seidr. She only retaliated when the need arose. So one day Loki decided to stop antagonizing her.

Things became better after that. Sigrid was as astute as he, also preferring books to physical training. Frigga would often read to them and tell them stories whilst Thor would be out playing with the others. She even tried to teach the girl some seidr, but the little Vanir upbringing she had would only allow her to watch. That was when Loki asked his mother to teach him little tricks to surprised her with, like making fireworks from his palm or conjuring little flowers for her to put in her hair.

Loki could not pinpoint exactly when she had become his closet friend. He just knew his life could be split into two phases: before Sigrid, and after Sigrid. In truth he was partial to the after, so the possibility of Sigrid leaving filled him with an intense dread. The hundreds of years they had spent together on Asgard suddenly seemed too little; a blip on his lifetime, and he wondered how long he would have before there were no more.

"Not at all," Sigrid squeezed his arm. "Just for a little while."

"Oh." He brought his hand to rest on hers where they lay on the crook of his elbow. Hearing her confirm that it was not a permanent return drew some of the panic out of him. There was still time to be had with her. She was going to be in his life for a while to come. "Okay. That's wonderful."

"Yes. Papa says they've managed to find a lot of the traitors. I think he's hoping to slowly ingratiate me back into Vanaheim. It'll take some time, and it may be rocky at first, but we have to start somewhere." She tugged on his sleeve with a joshing grin. "Seems I'll still be in your hair for quite some time. How will you ever mange?"

"Darling, I can manage anything as long as you're by my side." He allowed a few beats to pass before continuing. "Thor has his hammer, and I have you. My shield."

"Ugh!" She reached up to twist his ear. He sprang away before she could. "You're never going to let that go, are you?" He knew she was referring to that time when they were taking the language of the Dark Elves as an elective. The tutor had asked her to say a sentence in Shiväisith, to which she had given a confident reply. She had intended to say, 'My name is Sigrid and I like to eat sweets,' but what came out was, 'My name is Sigrid and I am a shield'. Loki had collapsed to the floor in guffaws. Once he had caught his breath, he proceeded to remind her of it every waking moment.

"You are mean," she huffed. They had reached her room now, the golden edges of her door glinting in the dim light. Sigrid moved towards her door, likely intending to shut it in his face. Instead, he grabbed ahold of her hand as she passed him. "Loki!" He spun her around in an effortless twirl, positioning her right in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Stubbornness was abound in the set of her chin. Her arms folded together across her chest, resembling an angry kitten with her tiny stature and glare. He placed a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to his, warm chocolate meeting hues of the sea. "Forgive me?"

She pouted. "No."

"That's a shame." His voice was nonchalant. "I had a surprise for you but seeing as you're not willing to forgive me…". Loki raised his palm to face level, splaying his fingers like his mother had taught him. Light emanated from the middle of his hand. Constellations—mini ones—floated up a few centimeters from the surface of his skin. They danced around in the air as Sigrid watched, a slow grin gracing her face as understanding dawned.

"The star gazing festival?" she squealed. "Are you serious?" Her hands came up in fists to shoulder level, and she began bouncing on the balls of her feet. It was hard to believe that she had been upset with him just a few moments ago.

"Yes," he tapped the tip of her nose. "I think it's safe for you to go this year. We'll have to be guarded of course, and there are conditions-"

"Loki, thank you!" She threw her arms around his neck, and he lifted her off the floor into a snug hug. He was not fond of hugs, and nary a person beside his mother or brother ever bestowed them on him, but he never minded Sigrid's. Especially when she kissed his cheek with such tender care before pulling away. "I've always wanted to go!"

"I know." He pressed the pads of a few fingers to the place where her lips had just been. For some reason, it always remained quite warm even after her lips were gone. "Are you excited?"

"Very much so!" She threw open her doors and he followed without a second though. He had spent many a night in her room as a child, be it sleeping, reading or staying up all night talking. Those nights were few and far between since they were now older.

Her room had not changed much over the years, save for some more age-appropriate décor. The sheets were still embroidered with flowers and the bed held more pillows than was necessary. A sheer curtain fell from around her four-poster bed, large enough to hold four grown people. It was a stark difference to his own, which was bathed in shades of green and gold. Loki was particular to colors and items that stood out, because he himself stuck out as the black sheep of the family. Sigrid, on the other hand, liked to blend in. She much preferred the lighter peaches and pastels of her room and the clothes she wore.

"Sit," she patted the bed beside her, upon which she sat in the middle. A long sheet of parchment hung from her fingertips. "Letter." Loki made himself comfortable on the bed, using one of her pillows to cushion her back against his leg. "Papa writes the usual. He misses me, sends his love, etcetera, etcetera." She waved her hand in the air in dismissal. "Ah! Here we go. He wants to hold a celebration for my birthday at home. The idea has been thrown out to his advisors and they think it's doable."

Loki leaned forward. "Your birthday is in just a few weeks. Things must be going well for him to be suggesting such a near date."

"They must be, indeed." Sigrid rotated the upper half of her body to face him. "You're coming with me, right? Your new duties won't get in the way of this?"

"You want me to come with you?" Loki was taken aback. He assumed Sigrid's visit would be the first in a series of events that would spell the end of their close friendship. It never occurred to him that she would want him by her side.

"Of course I do, silly. We spend all our birthdays together. Why wouldn't I want you there for this one?" She did not wait for an answer before returning her attentions to the letter. "More boring stuff about timetables and scouting parties and… oh." Sigrid grew quiet. She hunched over the letter, blocking it from Loki's view, and read the rest in her head.

"Sig? What's the matter?" He noticed her change in bearing at once. "Did something happen?"

"Not exactly." She brought the letter close to her face as though she was unsure about the words, then folded it in half altogether. "My father just mentioned someone, and I've not thought about him in a long time, that's all."

The word 'him' had Loki's ears pricking up. "Whom?"

"Just an old friend from home." She would have come across as nonchalant had her fingers not been drumming her mattress with such a nervous intensity. "His name is Leif. His father and papa grew up together so naturally, we became friends."

Loki pursed his lips. Her attempt at remaining calm was off putting, especially when he could see her pulse beating at the base of her neck. "I don't recall you ever mentioning a Leif." Sigrid shrugged.

"It wasn't important. I didn't have many friends back at home and he was one of the only ones who never minded consorting with a half-breed."

"You are not a half-breed," he told her. He hated that anyone had ever thrown such words behind the sweetest soul he knew. "You are a princess, and someday you will be Queen and I'll be subject to watch you leave this life for another. If luck favours me, your husband might even let me visit you."

The words were intended as a joke, yet they twisted his stomach to the point of nausea. Loki never wanted Sigrid to leave. He wanted to continue being her favourite person, and he was sure a husband would throw a wrench in that.

"Loki, I would never marry a man who did not like you." Sigrid stretched her arms high above her head, leaning back into him. Her head found his shoulder and cuddled against it. "Would you stay tonight with me? I've missed you so, and we've not had a sleepover in so long."

Loki hesitated. They had met when they both were on the cusp of becoming young men and women, so their sleepovers were a bit clandestine to say the least. Odin had put a stop to it once he found out, but the two of them managed to find ways to sneak into each other's rooms during hard nights. Now, older and with centuries of wisdom at hand, Loki understood why his father was so against it. "I should not."

"I knew you were going to say that." Sigrid yawned into her hand before settling her head on a pillow. Her eyes drifted close as she addressed him. "Ever the gentleman, this one."

"Only when the situation calls for it." Loki reached out to move the hair away from her face, knowing she hated waking up with the strands stuck to her cheek. Her lashes fluttered as his fingertips brushed the skin. "Ticklish?"

"Something like that," was her mumbled reply. "At least stay until I fall asleep?"

"That I can do." Loki made himself comfortable on her bed, fingers now stroking her hair in the way he knew she liked. From this angle he could see the contours of her face, and he let his fingers trace them with care. Once round and soft, her face had lost all its fat to reveal high cheekbones and a slender jaw. They paired well with the long lashes that framed her doe eyes, although those eyes no longer carried the naivety of the soot-covered young girl he had met that one fateful night.

"Sigrid?" Her breathing had long slowed, chest rising and falling in a rhythmic manner. "Sig?" Besides an indiscernible noise, Loki received no other response to his stimulus. He soundlessly got out of her bed and tucked the covers in so she would not get cold. The girl insisted on sleeping with her balcony doors cracked no matter how many times Loki told her to shut them at night.

"Goodnight, princess." He placed a kiss on the sleeping girl's forehead. As an afterthought, he circled a finger in the air until a flower appeared in the centre of his palm. Loki left it right on her pillow where he knew she'd spot it as soon as she awakened. "Sleep tight."