Author's Note: Guys... I am so sorry this took forever. I promise that I haven't been ignoring you or anything! Things have just been a bit busy on my end for the past couple of weeks, and they will probably remain so for a short time. I promise that while my updates will not be as often as you deserve, they will come. I have not abandoned you or the story. Anyways... I have a lot of reviews to catch up on so here we go. Abbyisswag not too much rage, or at least not too much explosive rage. We all know Loki handles anger a bit differently than other people. Guest oh my! So many feelings in one review! I am sorry I made you cry in a corner X( SnowWhiteQueen so glad you were able to rejoin us! I like made up words too, they make me smile, and we all know I could use a good smile while writing some of this! Ragnarök is a very tough thing to write. There is so much going on that it is difficult to know where to focus. I obviously chose to focus more on the binding leading up to it, which was no easy task either. Hahaha I do spoil my "sugar-loving" readers sometimes don't I? Perhaps I should throw a few more depressing chapters in there to balance it all out. I am glad you enjoyed the death of their child... goodness that sounds so terribly wrong! Oh yes, Odin does hold a lot of the blame for what happened, but really the blame can also be laid at Sigyn and Frigga's feet as well. They could just has easily have told Loki, and probably would have been able to do so in a better way than Odin. Lies create lots of convoluted messes, this is one of them. Mybonded Sigyn is in a tricky spot knowing Loki's true heritage. It will be interesting to see how that knowledge affects their relationship. Loki will get to vent his feelings, but it will be interesting to see how he will choose to do so. Anonymous1662 I am sorry you cried... sort of XD Guest Here is a little more, not much, but a little. :)


Sigyn was comfortably settled into bed when there was a pounding on their chamber's door. Loki crossed the room to open it, and revealed a palace guard.

"Prince Loki, your presence is required in the War Council's chambers immediately."

With that, the guard strode off. He didn't even wait for Loki's reply.

"I'll return shortly." Loki promised. "I assure you, this will not take long."

Sigyn gave him a little nod and snuggled into the blankets on their bed. Loki closed the door softly behind him, and made his way to the War Council's chambers. He wasn't entirely sure what he would say to the Council and Odin regarding his mission, but he knew entirely how he would handle Sigyn's miscarriage. He didn't bother to announce his arrival with a knock, but instead threw the doors to the chamber open. Loki opened his mouth to speak, but Odin spoke before he could form a sentence.

"You were told to come directly here upon your arrival." He stated.

"I was, and I am happy that I disregarded those instructions." Loki retorted, coming to stand in front of the AllFather and his Council members.

"Why did you ignore the summons?" Odin questioned.

"Because I was away from my wife for over a month. She is my first priority, not the Council's each and every whim. Speaking of my wife, when had you planned on telling me of her condition? After I had given a full account of my mission?"

"Yes." Odin replied.

Loki was stunned silent for a moment. He hadn't expected the AllFather to be so candid in his reply.

"Why wasn't I sent word the moment it happened?" Loki demanded in an even tone.

"Because there was nothing you could do for Sigyn by that point. The child was lost, but that did not mean your mission had to be lost also…"

"My wife could have died! Would you have told me then, or would you have waited till the mission was complete since there would have been 'nothing I could do for Sigyn by that point'!?"

"If you are so concerned about your wife's health why did you remove her from the healing rooms this afternoon?" One of the council members enquired.

They were changing the subject intentionally, which meant that the answer to his question had been that they would not have told him. They would have let him find out of his wife's death the same way he had found out that she was in the healing rooms, from a servant. Maybe the men before him cared for Asgard and its well-being, but they certainly didn't care for him or his. Loki was their pawn. A tool they could call upon whenever they needed, and then discard the moment it was broken. His child had just died, and they hadn't had the decency to send him a message. His wife was in extreme emotional turmoil, and they hadn't even planned on telling him till he had satisfied their needs. The painful realization sunk in that he personally didn't matter to the War Council, and at the head of that Council was his own father. After everything he had done, he had still failed to gain his father's approval.

The Council Member mistook Loki's silent thought process for a lack of response to his query, so he continued to speak.

"We can all sympathize with your current dilemma, but we have not called you here to discuss your personal affairs, Prince Loki, we have convened to receive the particulars of your mission."

Loki's blood ran cold.

He might have been able to forgive the Council their blunder if it had been some sort of mistake or they had shown any remorse for not telling him of his child's death, but they were making it quite clear that neither of these exceptions were the case. They were cold-hearted and cruel, and so he would treat them in kind.

Without warning he threw one of his bloody daggers right past the head of the Council Member who had been imprudent enough to question him. It hit the stone wall and clattered to the floor. Several other members of the War Council turned in their seats to look at the bloody momento of his mission. He had intended to clean his weapons upon arriving home, but those plans had fallen to the wayside, and now he was very glad that they had. He pulled out a second blood-stained dagger and approached the long table where the Council sat.

"You wish for the particulars of my mission?" He asked in a silken voice before slamming the dagger into the wood of the table.

The members closest to the dagger scooted their seats back slightly in alarm, and Loki pulled out a third dagger. He walked the length of the table as he spoke, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the bloody blade and ghosting his finger over its sharp edge.

"Why do you need the particulars of my mission? Shouldn't it be enough that it is complete?"

He drove the third dagger into the table. Council Members began to rise in protest, but Loki went to stand in front of his father, who sat calmly in his spot. There were no guards in the room, there couldn't be. The Council's meetings contained too many secrets to allow anyone else inside. Every so often there might be a Crimson Hawk present, but not this afternoon. The Council really had trusted him not to fly off the handle and kill any of them, since they weren't armed and he oftentimes was.

"Here are your 'particulars'!" He declared.

The fourth and final dagger found its resting place in the table in front of the AllFather, splintering the wood. He let everyone stare at the daggers silently for a minute before speaking again.

"I removed Sigyn from the healing rooms because her presence there was doing her more harm than good. She is physically well; it is her heart that ails her now. No spell or medicine can fix her wounds, only the comfort that I can offer her will. We will share the burden of this loss together. She will no longer suffer alone as you have so foolishly forced her to do these past few days. Eventually she will heal from these emotional scars, and if she is unable to do so, then the fault lies on your heads. Had I been there from the start..."

"Loki, enough." Odin commanded, while rising from his seat.

Loki drew back slightly. Odin was not young, but he was still certainly an imposing figure.

"The Council is dismissed. I wish to speak to my son alone."

Those present seemed as though they wished to protest, but none of them wanted to go against the command of the AllFather. They each left the room, throwing Loki looks of fear mixed with surprise. It wasn't till the others left that Loki noticed the chill in the air. It was as if the temperature had dropped several degrees suddenly.

"Are you finished throwing a tantrum?" Odin inquired once they were alone.

"Tantrum? Do you mistake this for a mere tantrum?"

"It would appear to be nothing more."

"One does not have a mere tantrum over the death of their child."

"No, one should grieve."

"Do you not think I grieve?"

"Your words and actions were of anger not heartbreak." Odin stressed.

"And can not those two emotions be experienced simultaneously!? I should have been told! Did you truly value the completion of my mission over the state of my wife?"

"Yes."

For the second time that afternoon Loki was floored by Odin's candid response.

"The lives of many Asgardian's rested on the success of your mission, while the death of your child only endangered one. All leaders must learn to place the needs of the majority first. They cannot let their own personal emotions win-out."

"But I am never to be a leader am I? I am to be Thor's maid, cleaning up every mess he makes when he takes the throne. I have placed the needs of Asgard above my own for long enough. Should I ever receive a written summons from the War Council again know that I shall burn it without a glimmer of remorse, and may the Norns help any messenger you dare send bearing the same intent." Loki fumed before leaving his father standing alone in the chamber.

He didn't stop as he made his way back to his bedchambers. His anger only seemed to mount the further he walked. He had left his bloody daggers lodged in the table, and he hoped they would stay there a while as a reminder to the Council that he was severing all ties with them. He needed out.

Out of the War Council's problems.

Out of Thor's shadow.

Out of the palace.

Thor may not be ready to take the throne, but let him take it anyways. The sooner Thor was king, the sooner he and Sigyn could leave the palace behind and have a home of their own.

Away from the prying eyes of the court.

Away from the pressures of the War Council.

Away from the disregard of his father.

Sigyn was resting when he entered their chambers, and Loki went to sit on the bed next to her. He gently stroked her hair as he watched her steady breaths. The simple act seemed to help calm him down slightly. He sat stroking Sigyn's hair and whispering promises of a new life for them for what seemed like hours before a soft knock caught his attention. He didn't really feel like answering the door, but he couldn't really yell for them to go away with Sigyn in a strained sleep. He opened the door wide enough to reveal himself, and was greeted by his mother.

"I see you returned without stopping in to speak with me." She remarked.

"Forgive me, but I was a little busy."

"So your father told me."

"Were you aware that he hadn't sent word to me?" He asked harshly.

Frigga shook her head.

"He had told me that he would."

"So how, may I ask, are you not furious with him?"

"I am upset with him Loki, we had words of our own, but your father always has a reason behind his actions. Perhaps you don't understand now, but some day you might."

Loki was about to verbally lay into his mother, but Frigga intercepted him before he could.

"What is done is done Loki. We cannot change the past, what we should be focused on is the present. How is Sigyn?"

Loki took in a deep breath to calm himself and opened the door for his mother to enter. Frigga went straight to kneel by Sigyn's side. Loki didn't speak as Frigga looked over Sigyn. Instead, he went to stand on the balcony. Frigga joined him there a few minutes later.

"This is the first time she has slept without being drugged in days." She remarked. "Has she spoken with you?"

Loki nodded.

"Good. We couldn't get her to say anything to us after the first day."

"I wonder why." Loki mocked.

Frigga brushed off his bitter statement with the poise of a true Queen.

"She needs to get away from here." She stated.

Loki looked at his mother in surprise.

"You truly think so?" He asked a touch hopeful.

"Yes. This place will hold too many painful memories for her to handle in her current state. She will lie and say she is fine, and she might be able to convince a fair few people that she is, but every time she walks by that unfinished nursery…"

Frigga trailed off. She knew she didn't have to finish that thought. It was going to be painful enough for Loki to be reminded of their unborn child, so he could only imagine what Sigyn was going to suffer.

"I would suggest that once Sigyn is feeling a little better you both take some time to look at the royal estates."

Loki nodded in agreement.

"That had been my intention." He admitted. "Who knows of the death?"

"Aside from Sigyn's family and us? The healers and a small portion of the servants are aware of it. I can't imagine that Thor has been able to avoid telling Lady Sif and the others as well. There is also Livia, the maid that is assigned to these quarters. You owe her a good deal of thanks. She was the one who got Sigyn to people that could help her when her labor started. If she hadn't reacted so quickly you might have lost Sigyn as well as your child."

"I will keep that in mind the next time I speak with her." Loki promised.

"I know you will darling."

Mother and son stood quietly on the balcony for a bit just looking into the garden. Loki's mind was swirling. He was being assailed by a million different emotions, and he didn't know how to handle any of them.

"Did you and father ever lose a child?" He finally asked, hopeful that Frigga could help him make sense of the pain he felt.

Frigga gave him a sad smile.

"No, we never did."

Loki looked down at his hands on the railing, but Frigga gently lifted his chin up so he was looking at her again.

"I don't know the pain you are going through, and for that I am both sorry and grateful, but there are other people who have been where you now are."

Loki gave his mother a curious look, and she placed her hand on his bicep in a comforting manner.

"Perhaps you should go have a talk with your father by law once Sigyn feels up to visiting her family." Frigga suggested.

Frigga then left Loki and Sigyn's chambers, and Loki went back to sit on the bed next to his wife. As usual, his mother was right. If there was anyone that could remotely relate to the loss that he and Sigyn were now suffering, it would be Halldor and Signy. Sigyn began to stir not long after his mother left, and Loki gave her a small smile.

"Did you rest well?"

"Not exceedingly well, but well enough." She replied. "Did you speak with the War Council?"

"I had words with them."

Sigyn raised an eyebrow, but Loki thought it would be best if he refrained from giving her the details for now. She needed to stay relaxed, and telling her about his encounter with the War Council and his father would only rile her up. Peace, and the safety of his arms, would be Sigyn's greatest solace for now. The couple sat quietly in their bed wallowing in the other's familiarity for a time, but when it neared dinnertime Loki reluctantly left Sigyn's side to speak with Livia. He had been thinking about what his mother had said about the maid, and he couldn't help but think that the girl had a good head on her shoulders. He wanted to hear her account of what had happened the night Sigyn had lost the baby. The maid was easy enough to find, since she was in her room for the evening. Loki knocked on her door, and Livia wasted no time in answering.

"Prince Loki!" She gasped for the second time that day.

"Good evening Livia. May I have a word with you?"

"Certainly, My Prince." She replied.

It wasn't like she could decline his request. She did however, throw a nervous look over her shoulder, then back into the hall. It was obvious that she wasn't sure if she should invite him in to sit or not. Social propriety would dictate that she at least offer him the option, but Loki knew well enough what the girl might think or fear his purpose of speaking with her was if he accepted such an offer. There was no secret what Thor's purpose would be if he went into a maid's living and sleeping quarters, and while Loki didn't carry his brother's reputation where that was concerned, he would find it odd if the girl was completely unphased by the thought of a Prince in her chambers. He quickly spoke up to avoid causing her any discomfort, since he needed her to feel comfortable enough to speak candidly with him.

"I have been sitting for quite some time this afternoon, would you object to walking with me while we speak?"

"Of course not, My Prince." Livia replied, relief etched on her face.

Loki began to stride down the corridor, and Livia trailed a respectful step behind him.

"I have spoken with the Queen this afternoon, and she has told me that I owe you some deal of thanks." He remarked offhandedly.

"Thanks? For what, My Prince?"

"For assisting Princess Sigyn the other night."

"The other night? ... ohhh, you mean the night when… well, that other night…"

The poor maid was trying her hardest to avoid saying anything that might upset him. He supposed he couldn't blame her for beating around the bush. Had the roles been reversed he could hardly imagine saying "the night your child died" to his social superior.

"I did nothing, My Prince, I wasn't able to get her there in time to change anything." She added when he did not reply.

"Perhaps I should be the judge of that. Tell me what happened that evening, everything you can remember."

"I had already been in bed for some time when she came for me, but I am a light sleeper so the knocking on my door awoke me immediately…"

"Knocking? Did Sigyn not use the bell to summon you?"

"No, My Prince, she didn't and I didn't ask her why since it hardly mattered at the time. She could barely stand and she told me that she needed to get to the healers. I helped her along as far as I could, but she eventually collapsed to the ground. I tried to help her stand, but she kept trying to push me away while muttering strange things..."

"What sort of strange things?"

"They were difficult to make out. As I said, she was mumbling, and her thoughts were hardly coherent. I clearly remember her saying that the baby was cold, and that she should have told him something."

"Told who something? The baby?"

Had the baby been a boy? He hadn't asked, but Sigyn would have probably known by that point.

"I do not know, she didn't specify any name. She just said 'I should have told him' several times. I assumed she meant the baby, since she often would talk to it."

Indeed, Sigyn had often talked to their unborn child. Loki would sometimes listen to her when she didn't know he was around.

"What happened next?"

"She managed to speak coherently long enough to tell me to leave her and go get help, but I couldn't, My Prince, I simply couldn't leave her there. I managed to sort of drag her to one of the main corridors, and I was fortunate enough to have your brother, the Prince Thor, stumble upon us. He carried her to the healers from there."

Thor? Thor had been the one to take his wife to the healing rooms? Loki began to feel even more despicable than he already had. Not only had he not been there to care for his wife as he had sworn to do, but Thor had been. Maybe Thor should have married Sigyn, since he was obviously the one more equipped to take care of her.

"Did you accompany him to the healing rooms?" He inquired.

"Yes, I did. He suggested I return to my chambers, but I told him that I would rather go with him. We were almost there when the bleeding started. Neither of us was allowed in the chambers with her, so Thor sent me to inform the Queen and King of the news. They returned to the healing rooms with me, but by the time we arrived… it was over. I stayed the night by Sigyn's side, and the one time she woke I gave her water and a sleeping powder that knocked her out till late the next morning after her family had arrived."

"Her family was not sent for the moment it happened?" Loki asked, more than a little surprised.

"No, they were not. The Queen and the AllFather seemed to think it was best to let her rest."

"When was Sigyn told of our child's death? Were you the one to tell her?"

"No, My Prince! That would hardly have been my place! Her mother told her, though we were all there… I swear to you on my life that I stayed out of the way though. I did not wish to intrude on your family's private matters."

"You were assigned to look after my wife, your presence there was completely justified." He assured.

One thing was very clear from Livia's story, his mother had been right. Thor had gotten Sigyn to the healers just in time. If Livia hadn't responded to Sigyn's needs so quickly, or if she hadn't been so determined to get his wife to the healing rooms herself and had instead wasted time searching for help, things could have been worse. Sigyn might have given birth without the assistance of the healers, which would have been extremely dangerous.

"My Prince, … I am sorry."

Loki stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at Livia. Had she taken his silent musing as anger towards her?

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't able to help. If I had acted quicker maybe I could have gotten Princess Sigyn to the healers in time to save the baby, but I didn't."

"Livia, Sigyn's miscarriage is not your fault. You did everything just as you should. There was no one that could have saved our child at that point, not even me."

Livia looked up from the ground to catch his eyes with her own for a split second before lowering them again.

"Your actions very well may have saved my wife's life, and for that I am indebted to you. Sigyn is my world, and you prevented that world from crashing down around me."

The maid lit up at his words, though she still refused to look at him directly.

"How do you like serving Sigyn and myself?" He asked in a rather abrupt change of topic.

He could see Livia's surprise, and he could practically hear the wheels in her brain turning.

"I expect you to tell the truth, I will know if you are lying." He warned.

After pausing for a moment more, Livia responded.

"I enjoy serving you and the Princess. You are both rather tidy, which admittedly makes my job much simpler, and Princess Sigyn is uncommonly kind."

"And how do you like it compared to working in other areas of the palace?"

"Truthfully? I like it a good deal more…"

So far telling the truth had been easy for her, but would his final query be so simple for her to answer?

"And what is your opinion of me?"

"My Prince!?"

"What is your opinion of me? You say that Sigyn is uncommonly kind, but you have not mentioned the impression I give you."

"Well… I… I didn't think that is what you wished to know."

"I see, perhaps I should have been more specific in my earlier question. I was not however, so I will ask you now. Do I frighten you?"

"N…"

Loki gave Livia a chiding look to intercept the lie she was about to give.

"Well, you do not exactly frighten me… I merely find you to be… imposing. You are a rather authoritative person."

Loki studied Livia closely as she spoke. She appeared to be telling the truth, but it was odd for Loki to have anyone describe him as 'imposing.'

"I see, but I trust you do not find me to be so intimidating that you dread serving me?"

"No, My Prince, I am not so frightened as that."

"Very good, and would you find it agreeable to continue serving us here in the palace?"

"If you both find my services to be satisfactory, then yes, I would find that to be very agreeable."

"And what about serving us outside the palace walls as well? Would you be willing to follow us should we leave?"

"I would be willing to do so, but do you and the Princess truly intend to leave the palace?"

"I intend to, and I am certain that Sigyn will not be against the idea. We both knew that once Thor ascended to the throne we would be allowed to take an estate away from the palace, and, given recent events, I believe the sooner was can distance ourselves from these quarters the better. We will still spend some time here, but these quarters will no longer be our primary residence."

"So you wish for me to accompany you and the Princess to the new estate as your chambermaid?"

"As I mentioned earlier I owe you a great deal. Not only did you come to my wife's aid in a levelheaded manner, but you also kept a close eye on her while I was away. You have earned no small measure of trust from me, so I would desire that you accompany us as my wife's personal maid."

Livia's eyes widened considerably. She knew that his offer was a generous one. Not only did being the personal maid of a Royal Lady come with a higher salary, but it was also a social step up from her current position as a chambermaid.

"My Prince… I… I would be honored, but such an advancement would have to go through the head of the palace staff…"

"Then it is fortunate that the head of the palace staff reports to none other than my mother." Loki pointed out.

Livia's face lit up with a smile.

"Assuming I can work out the arrangements with your superiors, will you accept my offer?"

"Yes, I would be more than happy to accompany you and the Princess to your estate as her personal maid!" She exclaimed in a rather uncharacteristic show of enthusiasm.

Loki nodded and turned to walk back towards he and Sigyn's chambers.

"I will speak with my mother then. In the meantime, I believe Sigyn and I will be taking dinner in our chambers this evening."

"I will go and fetch it at once." Livia replied with a curtsy.

It wasn't till she was out of sight that Loki allowed himself to grin slightly. Livia was just what he and Sigyn needed. She was frightened enough of him to keep a socially acceptable master/servant relationship, but spunky enough to keep Sigyn company.

"It took you longer than I would have thought it should to go request dinner be brought to us." Sigyn remarked when Loki came into the chambers.

"I wanted to have a little chat with Livia." He admitted as he went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"About what happened?"

"Not only that…"

It was obvious that Sigyn didn't know what else he could have wished to discuss with the maid, and it struck him that perhaps he should have discussed his plan with Sigyn before speaking to Livia.

"What do you think of her?" He inquired.

"I think she is a very sweet girl. She is a hard worker, and always went out of her way to assist me while you were gone."

Loki interlaced his fingers with Sigyn's and smirked.

"You speak of her as if she were a thousand years your junior when she is probably only fifty." He remarked playfully.

Sigyn's lip twitched upwards slightly.

"I suppose I just feel old." She excused. "So what else did you wish to discuss with her?"

"I asked if she would be interested in accompanying us to our new estate as your personal maid."

Sigyn's hand tightened its grasp.

"Our new estate?" She breathed.

"Well… your new estate actually. It is promised to you in the marriage contract after all."

A sparkle crossed her eyes for a moment, and Loki felt a stir of hope in his heart for her recovery. If Sigyn could be even momentarily hopeful for a happy future this soon after their loss, then it was likely she would make a full emotional recovery.

"I was thinking that we should begin visiting them since Thor's coronation is less than a year away."

"I like that idea…" Sigyn sighed.

"I am very glad to hear it." He replied before placing a kiss on her head.

The sorrow hung over them like a heavy fog for the next four weeks. They wore nothing save customary black, and there was little conversation between themselves or with anyone else. Frigga had convinced them to dine with the rest of the Royal Family on a few occasions, but they attended no celebrations of any kind. The news of their child's death swept through the palace like a wildfire, and then made its way across the kingdom. Pity for the would-have-been parents ran high, but neither Loki nor Sigyn was aware of it. They were too absorbed in their own personal struggle. Loki spent his free time compiling a list of the Royal Family's estates and creating an itinerary for visiting them, while Sigyn passed her time sitting with him in his study quietly reading. He would sometimes catch her staring at the same page for hours, but he never interrupted her thoughts. Sigyn knew better than he did how to handle grief. She could fake a smile in the presence of others, and even seem genuinely happy at times, while he just managed not to fall to pieces in public. What hurt Loki the most however, was when he would spot Sigyn in the unfinished nursery. He would always join her there, and just hold her as she looked forlornly at the crib. On the days when she was really struggling, he would simply sit on the floor with her, as they had done so many times in the library growing up, and let her read the children's stories to him. It would have seemed an odd way to grieve to many people, but it was just what Loki and Sigyn needed. It was a way they could grieve, together.