After a restless night of half-sleep and agitated dreaming, Sigyn had no choice but to seek out the answer she was in desperate need of. As soon as morning came, and Sigyn heard movement about her own home, she dressed and headed downstairs. She said a brief word to her father before she disappeared out of the door. And soon she was walking passed the guards that she now knew to be called Njal and Halvar.
"Here she is again," Halvar grumbled.
"Yes, it's nice to see you too, Halvar," she answered in a mildly sarcastic way.
"You're early today," Njal chipped in.
"I guess."
"You look angry, what has the prince done this time?"
Sigyn blinked and, dismissing her thoughts for a moment, replied "Oh nothing much, the usual."
That there was a usual level of annoying her now baffled Sigyn. She was calling the tricks Loki played normal now. Does that mean I'm accepting it as a normal routine? she wondered. Somehow, that thought didn't really comfort her though.
"Try not to yell at him too much, it's still early," Njal joked. "Some poor soul might still be trying to sleep."
"No promises. But you two aren't asleep though; in fact, do you ever leave here?"
Njal laughed while Halvar appeared less than amused.
"Why do you think Halvar here is so grouchy all the time?"
To that, Halvar looked even less impressed. Sigyn just chuckled as she was began to walk away, passed the guards.
"He won't be in the hall."
She paused at Njal's words and asked, "Where will he be then?"
"In the gardens," Halvar said gruffly.
Sigyn sighed, the gardens were a big place. Trying to find Loki in them with no idea of a starting point was going to be more difficult than getting him not to startle her every time he decided to show up.
"Any idea about where in the gardens?" she asked.
"By the apple trees."
How do they always seem to know where he is? Sigyn wondered. Maybe he told them before. Maybe he knew I'd be storming in all the time- like I do, admittedly, keep doing... Hm, she thought, trying to end that train of thought before she really got into it. Thinking wasn't going to get her the answers she craved- as she had well discovered last night.
"Thank you," Sigyn replied before disappearing off to find Loki.
The light mood that that conversation had given her faded quickly as the thoughts that had stopped her sleeping properly, and that she couldn't seem to shake off, returned. She had to find him soon. And, in fact, it did not take her all that long to find the Prince she sought, for she asked a gardener she came across for directions. Sigyn found him seated on a bench made of woven twigs and vines, the like of which she'd never seen before.
"Visiting again?"
He asked the question without even looking up. It was as if, as she'd thought, he knew he was coming. Standing, Loki met her eyes, striding slowly to meet her.
"Not exactly a visit-" she started as he stopped in front of her.
"Apple?" Loki interrupted, before she could finish.
His hand stretched out to her, and in it he held out a ripe, red apple. She just frowned slightly at the interruption.
"No, thank you-"
"Pity; they're good."
"I'm sure they are-"
"You know, the Midgardians have a legend that dubs these the forbidden fruit. Silly really..." he added quietly.
He waved a hand and the apple vanished into the tiniest waves of smoke. Sigyn didn't have time to consider what that was supposed to mean as she took the opportunity to demand a clarification for what was going on.
"Look, Loki, I need an explanation for all this."
"An explanation for trying to give you an apple? Well, firstly they're extremely healthy-"
"Not what I meant," Sigyn said, rolling her eyes.
"You don't need an explanation," Loki answered, almost sighing as he did.
"Actually I do. Really, please, Loki. I'm losing sleep, I need an explanation."
"You're losing sleep over me? Why little Sigyn, I'm flattered."
She gave him a levelling look and replied, "Loki."
"Why, I wonder, is this so important to you?"
Sigyn faltered slightly at that, her teeth teasing the inside of her cheek as she thought about her response.
"It just... is," she replied lamely.
"You know I'll find out," he started, clearly intrigued at what she refused to tell him. "It'll be far easier if you just tell me now."
"It's because... because I don't know you, Loki."
She watched as his eyes became harder, almost as if an emotion she had not before seen in him was causing trouble.
"You have to understand that the only times we've really met, all you've done is make me jump and make me kiss you. I don't understand why it is you're courting me. I truly don't."
He stared at her.
"It would seem that I am more observant than you then."
She blinked. What did he mean by that?
"For years I have watched you go in and out of the library, regardless of what other people have said or wanted. You kept coming back, and for that I had to admire you persistence. What was I doing the first few times that I spoke to you? Scaring you, you called it. No. I was testing you."
"Testing me?" she asked, taking a few steps back from him.
"Let me finish, Sigyn. That was my way of understanding you better. Here is something that you must understand. I am known as the Trickster God for good reason, I cannot have a wife that cannot cope with my ways, no matter how I admire her persistence."
She looked to the floor for a moment, and then back at him.
"So... so all of that was just... you testing me to see if I could 'cope'," she said the last word with a certain venom.
"You did far better than most when it comes my games."
"So that's why you're courting me then... because I can cope..." she said, accusingly.
But Loki had closed the gap she'd created in a second. Sigyn felt his index finger under her chin, lifting it so that she met his eyes. It was difficult though, he was so tall in comparison to her.
"It's not the only reason," he said quietly, eyes flashing.
Sigyn closed her eyes. She knew the question she had to ask or she'd regret it; and she couldn't look at him as she asked it.
"How do I know that I can believe you?"
When she opened them again to witness his reaction, she could only see hurt in his eyes. It almost appeared genuine too. Maybe it is...
"I see you can cope, but perhaps my tests should have include your ability to trust," Loki replied, his voice becoming hard.
He stepped back from her quickly and turned away from her. All Sigyn could do was stare and frown at the back of the Prince who now seemed to be refusing to look at her.
"Wait, you don't understand, Loki. I'm not saying that because you're the God of Lying and Mischief, I'm saying it because... because I don't know. The only reason I asked is because I don't understand. How can you expect me to trust you if I still don't know you?"
"Then get to know me," she heard him say.
"How is it ever that simple?"
He frowned at her a moment, choosing then to turn back and look at her. Loki noticed the odd tone shaping her last question. There was more to this than the explanation she had given.
"What other objection do you have to my courting you?"
Sigyn stared at him for a long time before asking, "How did you know th-"
"I just know," he replied, waiting then for her answer.
She frowned and looked at the ground as she spoke. She didn't want to look at him again while she admitted the other reason that she wondered why he was courting her.
"You're a prince... and a God, and I'm just... me. 'Little Sigyn' that reads when she shouldn't and has a bit of a temper problem. 'Little Sigyn' that doesn't fawn over men like her sisters and prefers to be alone rather than in a crowd. Why would you want me?"
Loki blinked. It was as if her words had stunned him momentarily, before a small smile appeared, shaping his lips.
"That is your issue?
She looked up to see him wearing that surprised and even amused expression.
"That's why you want to know why I'm courting you so badly?"
She nodded once, not comprehending the look he was giving her.
"All those things you used to negatively describe yourself are what have endeared you to me."
She stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"They what?"
"You have no idea how similar we are," he said, moving closer to her and shortening the distance he'd put between them.
Sigyn didn't move as his hand lifted to shift a blonde curl and tuck it behind her ear. It was a gentle gesture, made more so by the way the pain that was before in his eyes had vanished to be replaced by an amused and soft glint.
"You'll find out though, little Sigyn. You'll find out."