It took Loki a week and a day to finally, collectively convince Hogun, Arnlaug and Sigyn to let him out of the houses of healing.
Obviously there were conditions, "Only for an hour, son, and accompanied by darling Sigyn." Arnlaug had said. He felt like he might be losing his intellectual edge. He hated being treated like a snivelling child…but he would take it. He would do anything to be rid if the damned healing rooms, even if just for one, short hour.
He tired of constantly being watched, as if he were about to instantly burst or break or some other sort of alarming affliction. So there he was now, Sigyn at his arm, strolling along one of the many golden balconies of Asgardia.
"How do you feel? If you tire we may return-"
"Sigyn!" he did not mean to snap, "Sigyn…I am well." The only thing that really afflicted him was the pointed stares he received from all the passers-by. They were right perhaps…he was a frost giant-a diminutive frost giant, at that, blue as ice strolling along the balconies…
"On second thought…I am weary…let us return." She nodded meekly and led him back to the healing rooms. Beloved chaos, how he hated those damned rooms and their confines. And then there was Sigyn's constant presence.
He felt caged in-he felt like he needed to release something that was that was trapped deep, deep within him-like flexing a sore muscle…like taking a deep breath. It was not at all an unpleasant sensation when he looked at her-and yet he was mistrustful of it. He craved it and abhorred it at the same time, like a moth being helplessly drawn to the all-consuming flame.
As soon as he set foot in his room-the one were he had been trapped in for the past week or so, after only being gone for fifteen minutes in the allotted hour, immediately Arnlaug and Hogun began to fuss over him.
Hogun checked his bandages, Arnlaug half-dragged him back to bed.
"I told the Iceling that he should not be on his feet-after such terrible injuries!"
He fought the urge to groan, and at the same time caught sight of Sigyn from the corner of his eye. She stifled laughter, until she could no more.
She let out a deep bark of a laugh that did not seem that it could belong to such a small, willowy creature-and something deep inside of him clenched and unclenched, and he laughed too, until Hemidall marched, tall, golden and imposing as ever.
"The Odinson wishes the presence of the Frost Giant. With haste, Loki"
Hemidall led Loki through the city that was currently under repair, to a large, white tent. As soon as he caught sight of Loki, Thor spoke, "Ah, Loki. Walk with me."
Thor placed a hand on Loki's back and led him away from the gathering of builders and architects inside the tent and out into the streets.
There was ordered chaos all around...white tents had been erected everywhere the eye could see, frames of woodwork around every damaged building, to repair-new buildings were being constructed over the ones that had been completely destroyed.
"I am glad to see that you are well, Loki" Thor spoke,
"Only thanks to the tender attentions of Hogun and Arnlaug." Loki said,
"And to those of Sigyn too, one supposes." Thor let out a booming laugh-drawing the gazes of the people in the street and the irritation of Loki.
"I will not take offence…for I am certain that your words were merely a jest, Odinson. But be aware that lady Sigyn deserves our respect. Were it not for her, Sitaan would have bested me." Thor, had he been any other man, would have been chastened, and yet being himself, he simply let out another laugh.
"I assure you I mean no offence to the Lady-but now, Loki-I must discuss with you the proceedings of this eve."
"What proceedings?" Loki, confused asked.
"My father wishes to throw a banquet to honour you and the Lady Sigyn. I wished to invite you personally." Loki felt somewhat ill at the prospect, "Be ready in an hour."
"An hour, I say! Were you going to tell me about the feast right during?" Thor laughed, and walked away back to the white tent, leaving Loki to find his own way back.
Arnlaug greeted Loki as soon as he found his way back to the healing houses. She greeted him with urgency, pulling him into his room, essentially, much to his displeasure; stripping him and flinging him face first into a boiling bath.
"The Iceling must be ready! The feast begins in a half-hour and you are not ready!" Loki grumbled and swore as he let Arnlaug, again much to his displeasure, wash him. His already clean skin was scrubbed until he felt like she had scrubbed him right to the bone.
He was soon dressed ready for the feast, with five minutes to spare. "Go, Iceling!" Arnlaug pushed him out the door. Bitterly and somewhat humiliated he marched to the Golden Hall.
As soon as he arrived (ten minutes late, because in his trepidation that he wanted to squash away and ignore he had gotten somewhat lost,) he was greeted by thunderous applause-he was disgusted by his nervousness.
"Silence!" boomed the All-Father, and all fell quiet, "Loki, approach me." Loki walked up to the All-Father, but his eyes fell on Sigyn and would not stray. She was beautiful 'tis night, her oaken hair was piled up high on her head-the dress she wore fell down like water around her hips right down to the floor, soft golden like her eyes.
She smiled, and the clenching and unclenching from before returned, so for avoidance he turned his gaze back onto the All-Father.
"We here gathered, have come to honour the brave and the worthy, Loki, of Jotunheim, and Lady Sigyn, of the Fiery Musphell," said the All-Father, "We learn that, courage is courage, and loyalty and allegiance can come from the least likely of candidates. Now, I present to each of you my allegiance, kneel." Loki and Sigyn both knelt in front of the All-Father.
"I present you this helm, Lady Sigyn, to represent victory, loyalty and courage," he presented a helm, the shape of the head of an axe, "do you swear allegiance to Asgardia?"
"I do," she said, "I swear allegiance to Asgardia."
Odin placed the helm on her head, and turned to Loki, presenting him with a horned helm,
"I present to you this helm, Loki of Jotunheim, to represent cunning, thought and spirit; do you swear allegiance to Asgardia?"
"I do, I swear allegiance to Asgardia," Said Loki using the same words as Sigyn.
"Both rise." Loki and Sigyn rose, and there was much clapping, slapping on the back and merry-making.
Late into the night, Loki followed Sigyn to her rooms.
Sigyn shut the golden, heavy door behind her-she let out a deep sigh. It had been a long, strenuous…adventure. Placing the helm Odin had bestowed upon her on to the bedside-table.
She sighed pensively as she began undoing the lacings on her dress-life was good now, there was hope stronger than any fear she might ever have felt in the past.
She would live there, in the great, golden palace of the All-Father, where the days were always rich with sunlight and the nights always illuminated by the stars.
No dark Muspelheim would there ever be again.
And Mistress…Morgana…Sigyn had grieved her loss as she had waited for Loki to awake from his healing sleep. There was nothing to be done now. Sigyn could only shelter Morgana in her memories, for the sake of the love she had once held for her-even though Morgana had perhaps not loved her back…even if Morgana had treated her like…like a pet.
But there was no room for resentments now…there was only time for new life.
She felt cold hands clasp around her own, and for a moment she went rigid with fear, until she heard that familiar, soft, voice…a breath on her neck, "Let me, Lady Sigyn." She relaxed and let his deft hands undo the rest of the lacings on her dress, until it pooled at her feet, until she stood facing him only in her underthings.
His cold lips trailed down a path along her neck, as Sigyn-losing all inhibition, began to undo the clasps that bound his doublet, shrugging it over his shoulders; she pulled his shirt up and ran her hands along his hard chest…
Her hands felt like fire. Sigyn was the all-consuming fire and he was being burned-deliciously, slowly…ah.
"I have waited to do this…" he sighed into Sigyn's creamy neck, her hands knotted in his hair as she gave a deep groan. He pushed her towards the expansive bed and landed on top of her, spreading her legs apart with his knees.
Her hands clumsily undid his belt-buckle, and pulled his trousers down, to feel him needing against her thigh.
He did not ask her permission before he entered her-he did so slowly, his hips moving forward and his hands pinning Sigyn's on top of her head. She let out a barely stifled groan of pain-beloved Sigyn, hot, wet, Sigyn.
He moved, and consummated his love for Sigyn until the bitter-sweet end.
He knew that he might never see her again.
Sigyn awoke sore-she had bruises on her wrists, a bite mark on her neck and a burning soreness-that was not completely unpleasant between her legs. She turned a deep red when she remembered the night prior-and her heart swelled with affection towards Loki.
She loved him-real, honest…raw love.
He was not in her rooms, so Sigyn sought him out in the great hall, in the gardens and even in the Houses of Healing, and yet could not find him.
She went to Arnlaug's rooms, "Arnlaug, have you seen Loki-I have been looking for him all morning and I…" Sigyn stopped as soon as she as she saw Arnlaug's pained look.
"The Iceling has gone my dear…" crooned Arnlaug softly, as she took Sigyn's hand in hers and tucked strand of hair behind her ear.
"Gone…gone where?" Sigyn asked weakly, as it all dawned on her and as Arnlaug led her to sit down.
"Gone back to where he belongs, darling. Loki Laufeyson belongs away in the ice, now that the power is inside him…"
"No! I'll go-I'll follow him-Arnlaug!" Sigyn tried to pull away from Arnlaug's grip-she wanted to go after Loki-
"No…you must not travel," Arnlaug placed a withered hand onto Sigyn's flat stomach, "think of your little one, Sigyn."
Loki stood alone in front of the green heart fire, behind him on a wooden easel was propped up a mirror, half-blackened and half-shattered.
"So this is how it will be, Loki-just you and me?" Morgana's voice was grated and mournful.
"Yes Morgana," Loki outstretched his hands towards the flame, "just you and me." The very flames froze, sheeting at his feet. Loki left Morgana in the blackened room, as he headed for the library.
Morgana wept.
THE END
SO there goes, guys! What do you all think? A sequel may or may not be in the works. We'll just have to ait and see :-)
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Love, Calipha.
/P.S. Sorry this was so late-but you now, life gets in the way :-)