Quandary – Chapter 3

Sigyn took a deep, shaky breath, wiping her face free of the freshly-fallen tears. She had to do this now or else it would never be done, and her parents would be forced to discover her pregnancy by her growing stomach. Even though she wasn't even near the time that she would start showing, she didn't like to think about the scenario.

She didn't even truly know why she was crying. Sure, she had extra hormones with the pregnancy, but she supposed the real reason was anxiety. What would her parents say? What would her siblings say? How would they treat her now?

After all evidence of her hour-long crying spree were gone, she stood from her bed and straightened her dress with her shaking hands. There she was, one month pregnant, shaking and still on the verge of tears, about to tell her parents about the whole thing. She opened the door to her bedroom and entered the hallway before she had time to change her mind.

They were in the living room, as she suspected, by the fire. Her mother and her father. She walked in and sat next in the chair that Thor had sat in just two hours before and stared into the fire.

"Sigyn?" her mother asked right off, who was seated on the couch with her father. "Is something wrong?"

She flashed a nervous smile and forced herself to look at them. They looked so happy, really. Her mother was stitching, and her father was simply relaxing. He had worked all day, as he did every other day, and was undoubtedly ready to sleep. They had served dinner already, one she had politely declined.

"You didn't eat anything at dinner," her father said curiously.

"Yes, well, I just wasn't up to it," Sigyn quaked, sounding far more scared than she had meant too.

"What is it, darling? Are you ill?" her mother said worriedly.

"No, mother," Sigyn tried reassured her, but her tone fell flat. "I'm quite well."

"No you are most certainly not," her mother insisted.

Sigyn closed her eyes. Even when she was most nervous about the reveal, she couldn't help but think about how Loki was dealing with telling his father. He had Thor with him, granted, but it still had to be difficult. He was the Allfather, king of Asgard, not a peasant family who had no power.

Sigyn took a shaky breath. "I have something to tell you."

"Father, if you would just—"

"Whatever you have to say, it can wait!" Odin replied sharply.

"Please, just one moment is all I ask," Loki said, refusing to even slightly beg.

His father had been preparing for an apparently rather important meeting with the council when he and Thor had asked for his time. He had made Thor ask, of course, to try and get his father in a good mood, but it didn't work. Odin was still sitting on his throne, awaiting the message that would send him to the council room.

"Father, Loki has something very important to tell you, so if you would just listen," Thor demanded.

"You will not speak to me that way," Odin ordered.

Loki knew better than to raise his voice. "Please," he said, finally succumbing and begging. "I just want one moment of your time, then you can go and not worry about me or Thor."

Odin raised his chin slightly and gave in, probably tired of the whining. "Alright."

Loki exhaled a collected breath. He wasn't going to waste any time; no reason to hold his father up of any more of his precious time. He looked to Thor for a second, and after seeing his encouraging face, he started with his speech.

"Do you remember Sigyn Iwaldidottir?"

His father thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I believe I do."

Loki found his hands shaking and quickly folded them behind his back. "She... Is with child, father."

Odin, like Thor had, did not understand why he was telling him this. But before he could say anything, Loki continued.

"With my child."

Odin sat back in his throne in shock for just a second before standing up completely. He looked furious. Thor took a step forward to stand next to Loki.

"You impregnated a girl? A peasant girl? Are you mad?" Odin thundered.

"It wasn't my intention, I assure you—"

"And what was your intention, you impudent child?"

Loki had nothing else to say. He didn't need to argue his case to him; he wouldn't listen anyway. Thor saw his brother staring at the ground and probably thought he was defeated, so he naturally stepped in.

"Father, please understand that they fully intend to raise the child with honor," Thor argued.

"How can they?" Odin asked, voice quieter. "Out of wedlock and of different class—very different classes, may I remind you." His voice was like salt on a wound to Loki's ears.

"But they love each other," Thor explained, taking another step closer to the throne.

"Thor," Loki started. "Don't waste your breath. He won't listen."

Odin was about to respond to his remark, but Loki was determined not to leave while having the under hand.

"I have nothing else to say," Loki stated flatly. He turned around with a flurry of a green cape and was gone.

"What is it, dear?"

"Well," Sigyn trembled. She tried to steady her voice. "I'm... well, what's the best way to put it..."

Her mother's mouth thinned. A lady is not to stumble on her words, she could remember hearing her mother say. She had always been obsessed with making sure Sigyn was as proper and prim as possible, lifting her chin and straightening her shoulders until it was a habit. When Sigyn's little sisters were old enough, and her mother starting training them more instead, Sigyn felt somewhat relieved. Until now, of course, because getting pregnant out of wedlock was probably one of the most unladylike things one could ever do.

Her father's eyebrows knitted together. "Sigyn?"

Now or never.

Sigyn exhaled and closed her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

She slowly opened her eyes to see their expressions. Her mother's eyes were wide and her mouth was open slightly, and her father just took on this look—anger?—that made her almost fear for Loki.

"What?" her mother hissed.

"I'm pregnant," Sigyn repeated, smiling ever so slightly.

Her mother shook her head slowly. "But... But you're just a child yourself, how did this happen?"

Sigyn shrugged slowly. "Well..."

"Don't answer that," her mother said quickly.

Her father finally spoke. "Who was it?"

His tone of voice—which full of anger and shock—made her stumble on her words again. "Wh-What?"

"Who's the father?" her father clarified.

"Oh," Sigyn said. "Yes, of course. The father is Loki."

"Prince Loki?" her mother exclaimed.

"Yes, mother."

Her father closed his mouth after it had fell open. "The prince?"

"Yes, father."

Her mother was almost yelling now. "But he's a prince!"

"Yes, and I'm a peasant," Sigyn retorted. "Loki and I have talked about it, and since no one's ever had a multi-class relationship like this before, we though maybe we could... could change the way some people view them."

Her mother did not soften at the hopefulness in her daughter's voice. "Are you delusional? No one will accept you! Loki will not want anything to do with you when the time comes, sweetheart, you must realize that."

Out of all the scenarios Sigyn had thought through, of all the reactions she thought her mother might have, claiming that Loki didn't want her or the baby was—surprisingly—not one of them. Did she really think Sigyn would do such a thing with someone she knew didn't care for her? Did she honestly believe that she was that naive?

"I still love you, of course, but I just... I'm disappointed. I really am," her father grieved. "I thought we raised you better than to run off and get pregnant when you're this young, let alone out of wedlock and with a royal prince. I thought you would have thought about us, and how it will effect us, and not just about your childish wants and needs."

Sigyn was aware of the tears strolling down her face, but she didn't care. She actually felt more angry than anything. Maybe this would make them see that what they were saying was untrue. Maybe making their daughter run out of her own home with tears on her face would make them realize that no matter what they said to convince her otherwise, Loki loved her, and she loved Loki, and they were having this baby. And most of all, Sigyn hoped, they would know that her and Loki were going to be happy. And absolutely nothing would stop that.

He snapped his fingers. The fireplace snapped and popped as it roared to life in the fireplace, just feet away from where he was seated. The armchair was comfortable, but it did not need its comfort. The fire was warm, but he was not cold.

It seemed that all of the things that were there to comfort him were failing. Nothing could erase his father's words from earlier that day. And above all, nothing could change his father's mind about his opinions. He didn't approve of Sigyn, he didn't approve of their relationship, and he definitely didn't approve of their child. Loki knew this shouldn't bother him, that he should just go along with his life without his father's approval like so many had done before him, but he couldn't. Because if there was one ting he had always strived for, and one thing he had always failed to keep, it was his father's approval. This seemed to just be another reason for him to think of Loki as a lesser son than Thor; as a failure.

Just then a knock rapped at his door. He went to open it and found a guard standing there.

"A visitor, my lord," the guard said, stepping aside.

Sigyn appeared from behind the guard. Loki automatically knew something was wrong, for her eyes lacked what they usually had in multitudes; joyfulness, positivity...

Loki bade her enter and shut the door, not bothering to thank the guard.

"What is it?" he asked immediately, worry dripping from his words.

His suspicions were proved to be true when she started to cry. She didn't sob or bawl, she just silently wept. Quiet tears made paths down her face, and her face broke from the blank state it had been in and creased. He didn't try and say anything soothing; he wouldn't know what to say. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her small shoulders and let her cry into his chest. She weakly placed her arms around his torso and continued to cry. Loki could only guess that the meeting with her parents did not go well.

After a few moments, she pulled away from him. He led her to the bed, where they sat next to each other on the edge. Again, he said nothing. But she broke the silence.

"My parents did not take it well," she wearied, breath shaky.

"Nor did my father," Loki said. He meant it in an empathetic way, but it came out sounding bitter.

"And your mother?" Sigyn asked softly.

"I didn't have the chance to tell her. I'm sure the Allfather will tell her as soon as he can."

Loki didn't like to think about his mother, the sweet woman who always took up for him, being told about such a delicate thing by his father. He wished he could have been the one to tell her, because he desperately needed her support.

"Why does it have to be like this? Why can't they just be happy?" Sigyn cried.

"Because they've never seen anything like this happen, Sigyn," Loki consoled. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "They don't know what to think, so they succumb to anger. They'll come around. In time."

Sigyn sniffed and wiped away her tears. "How can you be sure?"

"Because they love us," Loki said. He meant it with her family—he had no doubt they loved her—but he did not feel love from Odin.

She gave him a fragile smile. He wiped away a stray tear from her face and let his hand linger there.

"I love you, Sigyn."

She smiled sturdily this time. "I love you, too. More than anything."

It was his turn to smile weakly. He pulled her into another hug and held her tight. And there, sitting on his bed holding Sigyn in his arms, he felt something he hadn't in a long time. Hope.

A/N: Thank you SO much for all of your reviews! You're all lovely. Keep them coming! Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope to update soon :)