Author's Note: Well I fear I must keep you all in a state of disappointment with this chapter. It is most assuredly rated 'M' for sexual themes, and I must also give you a trigger warning. There is some violence in this chapter so if that is something that bothers you, then I would suggest you skip it. There will also be an Author's Note at the end of this chapter so be looking for that. Now bear with me, I have quite a number of reviews to reply to. JaviMason19691 both of your questions are going to be answered in this chapter… well at least partly answered. Caitreylove there is nothing wrong to look forward to that confrontation, but I cannot promise that you will actually get to see it :P We are certainly going to see flashes of Loki's "cray cray," though he is not ready to take the big leap…yet. FlowRah *I am taking a little curtsy* I am so glad I was able to shatter your heart into a thousand pieces as cruel as that sounds. I am just so pleased that I was able to create a relationship that drew you in enough to make it hurt when I destroyed it. I promise, it killed me to do it, but it had to be done to prepare them for the next phase of their character development. I would also find it very very difficult to forgive Loki's actions, so we shall see if Sigyn is a more forgiving person than me. Reteka Hyuuga *I hand the reader a tissue* It will be ok. MithrilEvanesco Yes, it is very difficult to feel sorry for Loki (I don't). He certainly will have to work hard if he ever wishes to gain Sigyn's forgiveness. Anon at Heart Thank you so much for your beautiful review! Believe me, I consider it to be a privilege that you would not only read my story, but that you would take the time to write such a complimentary review. You are correct, no one is perfect, and that is ok. Oh yes, Loki gets around in the mythology and the marvel comic universe. They have left that fact out of the movies, which is ok with me. I am familiar with Sherlock and Dr. Who (I am a Sherlockian myself, oh and I loved the Firefly reference...) so I take it as a very high compliment that I was able to pull a Moffat/Gatiss moment :) Snow White Queen hahahaha I never would have thought that Loki's actions would have gotten to you in such a way! I almost thought you would brush his cheating ways off since it is cannon that he sleeps around quite a bit. I am honestly surprised you didn't see through his secret in chapter 27 since that is where I gave my first clue as to something being amiss, but perhaps you did catch it and just forgot once you read chapter 28. Well we will see how Sigyn handles Loki's cheating, she might not be as forgiving as you think. I doubt she and Thor will continue seeing one another given how their first encounter ended. Oh I love seeing all the reactions that people have had to these past two chapters. They truly are so varying, and even conflicting in nature. Luckily this story isn't really a fiction about cheating, but it will certainly dictate how Loki and Sigyn relate to each other from now on, and yes THE T man is almost ready to play his part :) Yes, my story can give some justification to what happens in the movies, and by the time it is finished it will have hopefully set a few things up. Your reaction to Loki's crying was wonderful. I was caught in a fit of giggles when I read that part of your review, and I had to go back and read it a couple of times because I was so amused. Believe me, I love your commentary and I am very interested to see how you react to this chapter. XD
The note informing Loki that Sigyn would not be attending the banquet being held in honor of his nameday didn't even come from her, but her mother. She had apologized that Sigyn had been unable to write him herself, but excused that her daughter was simply too sick even to write. Loki had expected Sigyn's absence from the banquet so the note came as no surprise. He had informed his mother immediately, and he could tell that the suspicion she had held during their encounter earlier that morning had grown even greater. Now Loki sat miserably at his own celebration wishing he were anywhere but there. Sif and Hogun always seemed to be upset with him, but now Thor was as well. Volstagg put on a happy appearance, but Loki could tell he was none too pleased with him either. The only person who seemed to feel somewhat sorry for him was Fandral. Several people inquired where Sigyn was, and Loki told them that she had been taken ill. The lie seemed to appease them and diverted any gossip, but if their separation lasted too long there would be no lie grand enough to cover up the ugly truth. Loki ate just enough to avoid too much suspicion, and left the banquet as soon as it was socially acceptable to do so. This had been without a doubt the worst nameday ever, but he had no one to blame but himself.
Loki slept exceedingly poorly, and rose early the next morning. He immediately penned a note to Sigyn imploring her to meet him that afternoon. He had to act fast if there was to be any chance of saving their relationship. The initial fury that she must have held would have had time to dissipate by now so she should be thinking rationally. He waited till the maid came with his breakfast, and then sent the note with her. He had no doubt Sigyn would be up by this point. She had probably slept just as poorly as he had. A reply came just before midday.
Though you have no right to ask anything of me, I will consent to your request. I will meet you in the library at three.
It was merely signed 'Sigyn,' which did not bode well. Perhaps her fury had not dissipated as much as he had thought…
Loki arrived at the library over a half an hour early, and he flipped through the pages of the book Sigyn had written for him in nervous anticipation. The doors to the library opened right at three, and Sigyn glided into the room. Loki stood from his seat awkwardly as Sigyn cautiously made her way towards the table.
"My goodness, I am not your mother. Sit down." She commanded.
Loki did as she said. If he wanted this talk to go well it would be best for him to swallow his pride and not argue with her. Sigyn pulled the chair next to his a little further from him before sitting down.
"You wished to speak with me?" She asked unemotionally.
Despite her cool exterior, Loki could sense that she was simply suppressing her true emotions from him. What true emotions lurked underneath her facade was beyond his ability to ascertain however.
"Yes, I thought it would be best to discuss what happened yesterday."
"What is there to discuss? You made a willful decision to be with Amora when you thought my back was turned. I suppose the only thing left to discuss is how many other women you have slept with."
"None. I swear to you, Amora is the only other woman I have been with."
"It's funny, but I find it difficult to believe you... The 'god of lies,' you didn't earn that moniker for no reason. As if your reputation wasn't enough to throw doubt on your words, the fact that you swore up and down to love me is. If you had truly loved me, you would never have risked hurting me in this way."
"I made a mistake Sigyn! If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have chased after you hopelessly or be sitting here now seeking to reconcile with you." Loki argued. "Can you not forgive me this one misstep?"
"Perhaps, but it wasn't just 'this one misstep.' You have been seeing her behind my back for at least a year now." Sigyn stated.
Loki gave a start. How did Sigyn know that he had been seeing Amora for such a long time?
"How did you know that?" He pressed.
"I spoke with Thor yesterday, after I discovered you two."
Loki had never told Thor about Amora, he had never told anyone about Amora.
"And how did Thor know may I ask?"
"He is not as unobservant as you seem to think. He caught a glimpse of you and Amora coupling here in the library."
Thor had never approached him about it and he had never told Sigyn, which begged the question…
"Why? What excuse did he give for not informing you sooner?"
"He had thought it to be a one time occurence. He didn't realize you had been sleeping with her since then."
Loki ran a hand through his hair before speaking again.
"It was never supposed to go on as long as it did." He excused.
"It doesn't matter if it wasn't supposed to go on as long as it did or not. It should never have happened in the first place!"
"It was hardly premeditated! I can't explain it to you, but the first time Amora and I slept together it just sort of happened. Maybe it had been her intent from the start, but I had never planned on being with her. After that first night it became almost like a game."
Sigyn's eyes glistened with hurt.
"So enjoying your nights with Amora was no more than playing a game, meanwhile my feelings were hanging in the balance?"
"That's not what I meant…"
"But it is what you said. My feelings meant nothing more than a silly game to you…"
She rose from her seat, but Loki snatched her wrist before she could move away. Something wasn't adding up. There was certainly hurt in her demeanor, and sadness too, but it lacked the anger and passion that he knew Sigyn would be displaying under normal circumstances.
"Are you not angry with me?"
"Do I not seem angry?"
"Hardly. Disappointed, yes. Heartbroken, yes… if you are simply holding back your anger for fear of offending me, then I beg you don't hold back. I grant that you have every right to be angry with me, and I dare say that I could handle your fury better than your current state of sad acceptance."
Sigyn gave a tug of her arm, trying to release her wrist from Loki's grasp, but he merely held on tighter.
"Yes, I should be angry with you, furious even, but I have lost all right to be so…"
Loki gave her a confused look. How could she have lost her right to be angry with him?
"Sigyn, I don't understand…"
"I made a mistake Loki."
Tears began to fill her eyes, and she couldn't keep his gaze. Loki stood from his chair and pulled her in to where she was forced to face him.
"What did you do?" He asked gently, but urgently.
"Loki…I… I am so sorry… you have to understand, I was so angry with you… I was desperate for acceptance from someone, anyone! Loki… I slept with Thor…"
Loki could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"Thor?" He asked unbelievingly.
His hands began to tighten on Sigyn's arms, and he could feel her wince slightly under the added pressure.
"Are you telling me that you slept with my brother?" He pressed.
Sigyn didn't reply, which caused Loki to snap.
"That wasn't a rhetorical question!" He unexpectedly shouted, while giving Sigyn a hard shake.
"Yes! Yes… I slept with your brother, but I didn…"
Loki placed a finger to her lips to shush her. Now Thor's fury from the day before made complete sense. It hadn't just been motivated by anger, but by guilt.
"And how long have you been sleeping with him?" He asked in an eerily calm tone.
"I promise you, yesterday was the only time I have ever been with Thor."
He smirked down at Sigyn as he ran a hand up her neck to stroke her cheek.
"So it would appear darling, that you have been the one using me. All these years tolerating my presence just to spend one day as the future king's harlot."
Sigyn tried to pull away from him again, the sting of his unbecoming words etched clearly on her beautiful face.
"Loki ple…"
"Did I say you could speak!?" Loki hissed while covering her mouth with his hand.
Loki could feel his rage growing as he thought of Thor taking Sigyn, his Sigyn, like Loki knew he took every other woman.
"No, no. It wasn't the desire to be taken by your future king that motivated you was it? You were looking for something else entirely. You wanted to be taken by a man who would dominate you. A man who would have you begging for mercy yet refuse it to you…"
In one fluid motion Loki spun Sigyn back around and into the table. He bent her over it and pressed his body tightly into hers.
"Is this how he took you?" He bent down and whispered in her ear.
Sigyn didn't answer, but he had expected she wouldn't since her sudden impact with the table had knocked the breath out of her. He was starting to feel unexpectedly aroused, and he pressed his pelvis even harder against Sigyn's backside to alert her to this fact.
"Isn't this where you are supposed to beg My Lady?"
"For what?! Loki, I don't understand!"
"For what you want of course. For me to defile your body roughly and unforgivingly."
"Loki…please…"
"Please what?" He purred.
"Stop!"
Loki grabbed Sigyn's hair close to the scalp and pulled her head back.
"Why should I? I am just giving you what you want. If you had wanted to be taken like this all you needed to do was ask it of me. There was no need to go to Thor my pet."
"I am not your pet, that would be Amora." Sigyn seethed.
Ah finally, there was his Sigyn. Loki turned her over onto her back and pushed her further up onto the table. He strangled any cry she might have given out by wrapping his hand around her throat. He didn't apply any pressure, but its mere presence was enough to cause Sigyn's hands to shoot to his arm to try and pull him off. Her legs where still dangling off the edge of the table, and she kicked out against him. She got him once in the upper thigh before he lifted her dress up to spread her legs far enough apart for him to settle himself in-between them. He was still wearing his trousers, but he did rub his painful erection against Sigyn all the same to further add to her utter humiliation. Sigyn's anger began to fade into a look of pure terror. She had finally realized that she was completely outmatched and powerless in his control, and Loki relished the look of horror that his ambiguous intentions drew from her. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it was no use. She was laid out before him helpless and entirely at his mercy, so now would be the perfect time for him to…to… to do what? What had been his intended goal in all of this?
To frighten her?
Yes.
To release his own anger and hurt?
Yes.
To actually harm her?
No.
To rape her?
Never… and yet here he was on the brink of removing his trousers and doing just that.
It took Sigyn's nails digging into his hand to bring Loki back out of his thoughts. When his eyes refocused his heart almost stopped. There was blood trickling out of his hand from where Sigyn's nails had been trying to pry him off of her, but Sigyn's grip had now loosened and her body was starting to become limp underneath his. It wasn't till he noted her sputtering attempts at breathing that Loki realized that he was unintentionally strangling her. He pulled his hand away from Sigyn's crushed airway as if he had been burned by the mere contact, and backed away from her. Sigyn gasped violently as she tried to breathe in as much air as she could before shakily sitting up. The doors to the library burst open before Loki could do or say anything more. Both he and Sigyn looked over to see who the newcomer was, and Loki's anger rekindled as his eyes landed on his brother. Why did it always have to be Thor? Why couldn't she have slept with Fandral? That would have been understandable, and Loki could have readily forgiven that. Hel, he would have rather her slept with Odin himself than Thor! Not that he would have been too thrilled with that either, but it would have been less painful. As it were, Thor now stood looking between him and Sigyn. While his brother probably wasn't entirely sure what he had just barged in on, he couldn't miss the fact that Sigyn was holding her throat protectively with one hand. Loki was close enough to see a bruise beginning to form, and he wondered if Sigyn was trying to hide it for his sake or hers.
"What did you do to her?" Thor demanded.
Sigyn winced at his raised voice and Loki bristled.
"I could ask you the same thing." He retorted.
Loki's acusation did not go unperceived by Thor, and for a split second his older brother's blue eyes showed a glimmer of remorse. The moment quickly passed however, when he looked back at Sigyn.
"I would suggest you wait outside for a few minutes Sigyn. Loki and I need to have a little discussion."
Sigyn nodded her head and slid off the table. As she made her way to the door Loki couldn't resist provoking her one last time.
"You were right Sigyn. You're not my pet you're his, now scamper off like your master bid you."
Sigyn turned on her heel and made a motion to confront Loki, but Thor grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Please wait outside Sigyn." He requested a second time.
Loki leaned against a bookcase and smirked.
"No, you should bid her to stay here with us. We could have that threesome you always talked about… I for one would love to hear how prettily she screamed and begged you for her release."
Loki knew he had pushed just the right buttons as Sigyn's face paled at the vulgar statement and Thor gave him the most dangerous look Loki had ever been given by him. Sigyn was out the door before he could say anything else.
"My you have trained her well. I couldn't get her to do my bidding after all those years, yet you manage to do it after one rendezvous…"
"That is enough Loki. Hide behind your words all you want, but you know that you brought these consequences down upon yourself."
"Did I? I don't recall ever encouraging her to impale herself on your manhood."
"If you hadn't been cheating on her she would never have felt the need to seek out attention from another man to begin with."
"Perhaps, but is it my fault that you took her when you knew her to be mine?"
"Where do you get the notion that she was ever yours? Last I checked she wasn't wearing your house color."
"Sigyn was my friend and lover before you ever had any interest in her." Loki accused.
"That still doesn't mean she belonged to you. Sigyn doesn't belong to either of us."
"She did, and still does, belong to me whether she wishes it or not!" Loki shouted.
Thor sighed.
"This is why I wanted Sigyn to wait outside…I can't argue with you when you aren't in your right mind." He stated.
"Not in my right mind?" Loki pressed.
"You heard me well enough the first time brother. The Loki that Sigyn fell in love with would have realized what courage it took for her to tell you that she slept with me, especially after I implored her not to do so. He would have been proud that she refused to lie to the man she loved despite the stain it would put on her own honor, especially when that same man showed he was willing to lie to her without hesitating."
Loki's head began to clear at Thor's surprisingly thoughtful words. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bookcase as a wave of nausea hit him.
"How did you even know she was here?" Loki asked.
"Fandral ran into Sigyn in the stables when she arrived. He came and told me that she had come to speak with you, and that she intended to tell you what she had done. From the looks of things I should have gotten here sooner. I don't know what you did to her before I arrived, but if you did what I think you did…"
"I didn't…" Loki interjected. "I was sensible enough not to do that."
Thor folded his arms over his chest.
"Are you calm enough to bring Sigyn back in here?"
Loki took a deep breath and nodded.
Thor walked to the door, but stopped before opening it.
"You should know that Sigyn only said one thing when I bedded her."
"And what was that?" Loki asked in an agitated voice.
Why Thor felt it necessary to divulge the details of he and Sigyn's intercourse was beyond his comprehension.
Thor gave Loki an injured smile. "Your name."
A wave of relief and remorse hit Loki all at once at the pronouncement, and he tried as best he could to compose himself before Sigyn entered. Thor gave him a moment before opening the door and stepping into the doorway.
"Sigyn…Sigyn?"
Thor looked over his shoulder to Loki.
"She's gone…"
Loki was at Thor's side a moment later staring into the empty hallway. Without a word to Thor, Loki took off down the corridor and headed straight for the stables with Thor right on his heels. Loki wasn't surprised to find out from one of the stable hands that Sigyn was long gone. His purpose in coming to the stables hadn't been to head her off, but to chase after her. He quickly saddled his own horse, and stopped Thor before he could do the same.
"Stay here. There is a chance she could come back, and you need to intercept her if she does."
Thor replied that he would, and Loki was out of the stables a moment later. Loki was informed upon reaching her home that Sigyn's parents were to have dinner with Frida, and that Sigyn was to join them there once she had finished her visit to the palace. Loki ascertained the location of Frida and Markus's home before thanking the servant and heading there. Upon his arrival he was ushered into the dining room, much to the surprise of Sigyn's family.
"Prince Loki!" Frida exclaimed. "How…unexpected. Is there something we can do for you?"
Loki glanced around the table, but Sigyn wasn't there.
"Has Sigyn not arrived here yet?" He quickly asked.
"No, she was supposed to be coming here after she went to meet with you…" Signy explained.
Loki's heart began to beat faster. Sigyn wasn't at the palace, wasn't at her home, and wasn't at her sister's as she should be. What had happened to her?
"What is wrong, why isn't she with you?" Frida demanded.
"She was with me, but we had an argument. She left without warning, and I followed behind her a short time after to apologize."
"What kind of argument?" Frida pressed.
"It doesn't matter, what matters now is that she is not at home, here, the palace, or any place in between."
Signy went pale and Sigyn's father rose from the table in urgency.
"I will go to the house to ensure that she hasn't indeed returned home without the servants noticing."
Markus rose behind him.
"I'll go inform Hallsteinn, and we will search the town."
Frida rose from the table as well.
"I'll go with you." She offered to her husband.
"No, you stay here with the Prince, your mother, and Sigrún in case she makes her way here." Markus instructed. "I'll fetch my brothers to go help us search the city."
Frida sat back down, and the two men left the room.
"Please take a seat My Prince." Frida offered halfheartedly.
Loki accepted the offer not because he had any real desire to sit, but because he didn't wish to be rude. He stole a glance at Signy, and he couldn't help but think how Sigyn was truly her namesake. Sigyn was almost a splitting image of her mother, aside from her eyes. Signy's were deep brown while Sigyn shared her father's blue-green eyes. Loki soon found himself unable to look at Signy due to the scary resemblance she held to her daughter. Sigrún began to cry in an adjacent room, and Frida was about to stand to go look after her daughter when Signy stopped her.
"I'll go check on her sweetheart."
Sigyn's mother left, which meant Loki was now sitting with Frida alone. He expected to be questioned by her, but instead Frida excused herself to grab something from another room. Signy came back into the dining room with a sleeping baby in her arms a few minutes later and asked after Frida.
"She said that she needed to grab something from another room." Loki explained.
Signy raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"And when was that?"
"Six or seven minutes ago."
Signy let out an exasperated huff before placing Sigrún in his arms. Loki wanted to protest as he held the baby awkwardly. Had he ever even held a baby before this?
"Just hold her till I get back, she shouldn't wake."
Goodness everyone in this family just felt like bossing him around right now. His pride told him to flat out refuse, but the memory of what he had done to Sigyn merely hours ago shut it up. Signy left the room, and Loki sat as still as possible with the infant in his arms. It was exceedingly small, and he was afraid that if he even looked at it wrong it would shatter into a thousand pieces. After ten minutes Sigrún began to wiggle and Loki began to panic.
"Don't wake up, please don't wake up…" he willed the child.
Despite all his wishing, Sigrún opened her eyes and looked up into his green ones. Not surprisingly she seemed just as confused by him as he was by her. Sigrún blinked a few times before her bottom lip started to quiver.
"No, no, no… please don't cry. Whatever you do please don't cry!" he begged the little bundle in his arms.
Her little lip continued to quiver so Loki did the only thing he knew to do, he rocked her back and forth. The motion seemed to help, but he knew that it wouldn't keep her pacified for long. She reached out and grabbed a random piece of his outfit and began to pull on it. Loki thought about making her stop, but then saw she was smiling. If tugging harmlessly on his clothing was going to keep her from crying then as far as he was concerned she could tug away. Signy finally returned to the dining room.
"Foolish girl." She muttered under her breath as she took Sigrún from Loki's arms.
"Excuse me?" Loki asked.
Was she talking about the baby, Frida, or Sigyn?
"Frida has gone looking for Sigyn." Signy explained.
Loki massaged his temple. Now both of the sisters were missing and Loki was stuck here with Signy babysitting. He couldn't help but question if it was pathetic that the only tolerable moment of his day had been holding a baby.
Author's Note: Just so you know, the next chapter will give you Sigyn's POV on this situation so any questions you might have could possibly be answered there. Bye-Bye!
