Chapter 12 – The Lady's Cottage
Sigyn's heart felt heavy at the sight of Angrboda's smile. It was beautiful- yet somehow terrible and false as well. Sigyn had never been a Seer, but a sense of foreboding gripped her when she looked in the Lady's deep blue eyes. Suddenly, the welcoming warmth of the cottage seemed menacing. She glanced anxiously to Loki, wondering if he sensed it as well.
If the prince felt that anything was amiss, he did not show it. Loki stepped eagerly across the threshold and gestured for Sigyn to follow him inside. She moved to obey, but could not prevent a second of hesitation.
Behind her, Angrboda gave a gentle nudge. Sigyn looked over her shoulder. It was beginning to storm again. Thick snowflakes were swirling down from the sky and the wind whipped at her skirt. A wolf howled in the darkness and Sigyn realized that she could not turn back. She stepped into the cottage, and then winced as the heavy door slammed shut behind her.
Sigyn felt somewhat sheepish when she looked around the room that she had entered. There was certainly nothing menacing about its appearance. It was just as cozy and inviting as the exterior had promised. Although the furnishings were not grand, every piece was made for comfort. Plump couches were set in front of a roaring fire, thick wool rugs covered the polished wooden floor, and the air was scented with the delicious smell of roasting meat.
"You must be weary and hungry," Angrboda said, taking their cloaks and hanging them on wooden pegs beside the door. "I hope that you will join me for dinner? I was just sitting down to eat."
"We would be most grateful," Loki said in courtly tone, "So long as there is enough. We would not cheat you out of your own meal, my Lady."
Angrboda made a dismissive sound. "Of course not," she assured him. "There is plenty!" She led the pair to a wooden table where she supplied them with fresh baked bread, a crock of butter and cups of icy ale.
"This might be to your liking," she said to Sigyn and sat a wooden trencher full of steaming stew in front of her. Sigyn looked into the bowl and her eyes widened when she recognized a Vanir delicacy that she had enjoyed as a child.
"And for you, my Prince," Angrboda said as she placed a plate in front of Loki. It was an entirely different meal: steaming meat and roasted potatoes.
"Why! This is my very favorite dish!" Loki exclaimed with wonder.
"Is it?" Angrboda said in a guileless voice. "Oh, I'm so pleased! What a coincidence!"
Sigyn felt another prickle of warning race along her skin. How was it possible that the woman had prepared two meals which were exactly what she and Loki liked best? Had she known that they were coming? What purpose did she have in courting their favor? Sigyn was anxious to be alone with Loki to learn if he shared her concerns. In the meantime, the delicious aroma of the stew quickly overpowered her misgivings. She was extremely hungry, and she couldn't think of any reason that Angrboda would have to harm them and so she finally gave in and ate her meal.
It was delicious, even better than the dwarf feast, and she and Loki both ate until they were close to bursting. When they finished, Angrboda cleared the dishes away and then she sat with them in front of the fire.
"We thank you again for your hospitality," Loki said, still speaking in his most prince-like manner. "It was very lucky that we came upon your cottage. I do not know what would have become of us if we had remained outside in the storm."
"You are very welcome, Prince Loki," Angrboda replied sweetly, "But do not call out encounter luck. You were destined to bring the Azimuth to me."
At the mention of the Azimuth, Sigyn's eyes grew wide.
"What are you talking about?" Loki said uneasily.
Angrboda laughed again. "There need be no secrets between us," she said, her honeyed voice soothing away the concern in Loki's eyes. "I am the one who set you on this quest, and who aided you in your travels. I know that you bear the great crown with you- and I will be the one who teaches you to wield it."
"You set us on this quest?" Sigyn interjected.
"The note left outside my doorway..." Loki whispered as the pieces fell into place.
"And the book in grandfather's library," Sigyn added, relieved, at least, to learn that fears of her mother's involvement were unfounded.
Angrboda nodded her head.
"But...why?" Loki pressed. "The note said that Thor would never be king- what quarrels do you have with my brother?"
"None, I assure you," Angrboda answered quickly. "I mean no harm to your brother- but surely you see that he can never rule? More and more of the magic has gone out of the universe. You have seen the ruin of Vanaheim for yourself, and the waste of Jotunheim lies all around us. They say that the last of magic is flowing out of Midgard as well. All of these realms may be enemies of your father, but they are also sacred branches of Yddragsil. A tree cannot live when too many branches are hacked away. The balance must be restored- which is why you must rule the nine realms when Odin is gone."
Sigyn watched Loki's face as Angrboda spoke and was troubled by what she saw. She did not doubt that Loki loved his family, but he had hinted at his jealousy. Now, Angrboda was dangling glory in front of him like a prize and his green eyes glittered with dark ambition that Sigyn had never noticed before.
"What do you get out of this?" Sigyn demanded suspiciously.
Angrboda remained unruffled, "Merely the peace of playing the part that the Norns have declared," she said modestly. "And the knowledge that I have preserved the power of the Nine Realms a little longer. I am a mistress of magic- some have said that I am the most powerful enchantress who has ever lived- and so I take a great interest in preserving the art of sorcery."
"Why don't you put your concerns to the king?" Sigyn pressed. "Odin can be a reasonable man."
For a split second, Sigyn thought that she saw a frown of annoyance mar Angrboda's perfect face, but it was quickly buried behind another radiant smile.
"You are full of questions," the lady said. "But I know that you are weary… We will speak again in the morning."
Angrboda went to the hearth and retrieved a steaming kettle. She poured its contents into a small cup, which she handed to Sigyn.
"This will help you sleep after your long journey," she said. She walked to the sideboard where she uncorked a glass bottle filled with amber liquid and poured a second drink. "This may be more fitting for the thirst of a king." She handed the goblet to Loki.
Sigyn frowned into the steaming mug, unwilling to drink it, even though she knew that she was being petty.
"Delicious!" Loki exclaimed. Sigyn turned her head and saw that he had drained the contents of his goblet.
Angrboda blushed with pleasure at the compliment, and then frowned when she saw that Sigyn had not touched her own drink.
"Is something wrong, my dear?" she asked solicitously.
Loki shot Sigyn a disapproving frown.
"Of course not," Sigyn said in defeat. With a sigh, she lifted the cup to her lips and drank.
The concoction was actually delicious- warm milk sweetened with honey and spices. It settled in her stomach with a pleasant warmth. Almost immediately, Sigyn began to feel drowsy. She lifted a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.
Angrboda noticed the gesture. "Let me show you to your rooms."
Loki and Sigyn both rose from their seats in front of the fire. Angrboda led them up a staircase and stopped at the first doorway in a long hall.
"Here you are, Lady Sigyn," she said, opening the door and gesturing the girl to go inside. "This will be your chamber."
Sigyn bit her lip and reached out for Loki, unwilling to be separated even in this pleasant house, but he did not take her hand. She turned and shot him a pleading glance, but was met with a cold frown.
"Don't be a child, Sigyn!" he hissed under his breath and then pulled the door closed behind her.
Loki's rejection stung. Sigyn blinked back tears as she walked over to the bed and slipped out of her dress.
She wanted to hurry. Despite his cool dismissal, she fully intended to sneak into Loki's room as soon as he was alone to discuss their situation. The Prince of Asgard might be satisfied of Angrboda's honesty and pure motives, but Sigyn was skeptical and intended to make him listen to her concerns. However, when she reached for the nightgown that had been laid across her pillow, she was momentarily distracted. It looked exactly like the one that had been her favorite as a little girl: butter yellow flannel with a scalloped hem. She held it to her nose and was astonished to discover that it even smelled the way she had remembered. It was faintly perfumed with the scent of crushed lavender and salty air, as though it had been washed and hung out to dry by the laundress at Noatun.
Rather than being comforted by the familiarity, Sigyn was alarmed. Something was wrong. She was becoming steadily more and more certain of that fact. She couldn't deny that she was jealous of the other woman, but her concerns went deeper than that. Angrboda was simply too good to be true. She had to make Loki understand.
Sigyn turned toward the door, but before she could take a step, a wave of exhaustion washed over her body. She needed to talk to Loki…but the bed was so inviting. Sigyn's eyes looked down at the deep feather mattress and cotton quilts. Surely it wouldn't hurt to lie down for just a few moments?After all, she had walked so far...
"No!" Sigyn hissed under her breath, willing herself to stay awake, but her body seemed frozen on the spot. Her eyelids were heavy. They dipped so low that her long, dark lashes brushed her cheek.
Think about it tomorrow… A pleasant voice seemed to whisper in her ear. Rest now…sleep…the bed is so soft and warm…
"Soon," Sigyn promised herself, "As soon as I talk to Loki!"
But the lure of sleep was too strong to resist. Sigyn sank down onto the mattress and closed her eyes. In less than a heartbeat, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
A/N-I originally intended to make this a much longer chapter, but the shifts in perspective worked better by breaking it up…
Thank you, as usual, for your comments :D I know that you hate me for including Angrboda, but it had to be done…
BTW, a lot of other people are writing AMAZING Loki/Sigyn stories. I started a community to catalog them all. Please let me know if I have left one out.