Lead Me Back to Normalcy
A/N: Yes, I am back with another chapter today! I will also have another one ready tomorrow for you guys and possibly Saturday! After that, there won't be another chapter till Monday or Tuesday since I have to go to my college orientation and visit my college friends.
As a warning, Chapter 6 (Truth or Fiction) will be the last rated "T" chapter. Chapter 7 (A Childhood Nightmare) is rated "M." Why? I can't tell you without giving it away.
I would love to thank all my reviewers, Tea, Fable, Skirose, Alexia, AC, Kirixchi, Anonny, and Princess. I love any and all favs or alerts this story gets, but the fact that you guys have gone out of your way to write me a review is touching! So thank you guys, and of course to the people who continue to fav or put this story under their alerts!
The secret of having a personal life is not answering too many questions about it.
Chapter Five: Not Without Secrets
The days that followed, Sigyn had spent them in the healing room, receiving treatment for a wound that would have killed her if gone untreated much longer. Though he had heard her screams when they first applied the medicine, he knew in his heart this would make her better, and it had. From what his mother told him, her hallucinations were becoming less frequent the longer she received treatment. But her treatment did not come without a price. Everyone was buzzing about the widowed wife of Loki and how she too had become mad. The women, who had always been skeptical of the shy girl, unleashed their criticism without mercy. Even the healers spoke about her when outside the healing room. Why would any sane person leave a wound to fester for so long?
This morning had been quiet though. No one dared to stir the pot further. As Thor walked towards his father's throne, he was surprised to see his mother standing by the window. He looked to the throne to see it empty. "All Father is busy, Thor," Frigga said. "Njord has return when he heard rumors that his daughter has been married to a frost giant. He is deeply enraged that Odin would lie to him. I do not blame him for his anger either, Thor." With her hands held conservatively together, she gazed at her son. "I fear we will be losing another in our family." Thor came closer as his mother began to shed tears. "She has always been a daughter to me," she added with a level voice. "I do not want that taken from me, but as her father, I can understand Njord's wishes to return his daughter to a stable home."
Thor came beside his mother and looked out the window to gaze down at Asgard. The Asgardians went about their daily business, unaware of the chaos brewing within the ruling family. Though Thor would never wish away his royalty, there was something pleasant that had to come from living a life where your actions did not always have dire consequences on the universe. "Njord is a good man, Mother, " Thor addressed. "I do not think he would remove her from her home unless absolutely necessary. He was the one who made Loki swear that she could never leave Asgard because she needed a sense of stability."
"But she no longer has that here, my son," she replied. "She has already confessed to me that she would rather die than spend the rest of her life here. I can tell that by the way she speaks that not only is it true, but it would be better for her." Frigga fell quiet for a moment as she further contemplated her thoughts. "I must agree that this palace has changed since Loki's death. It is very quiet here without his tricks to stir some chaos, almost hollow here.
"But I knew this would come, Thor. I always felt that at some point Loki would discover the truth of his heritage, but I assumed it would come from Odin's mouth. He should've told him when he was young like I wished," she continued, her voice full of regret and sorrow.
"Mother—"
"I knew that if Loki died in combat that Sigyn would retreat back to the shy girl she was as a child," Frigga commented. She let out a heavy sigh to ease the burden on her heart. "I knew that if she ever was injured that Loki would become furious. In his rage, he blamed you, Thor. That's why he threatened Jane." His mother licked her lips as she slowly blinked. "I only hope for Loki's sake that he is dead."
Thor looked curiously to his mother. "You believe Loki to be alive?" he asked in an astonished voice.
She some long seconds to answer his question. "If there were anyone who could find his way out of death, it would be Loki," Frigga answered. "But—" She shook her head at the idea. "If he is alive, he will come back for Sigyn. She will not receive him if he does. Sigyn has no love for him anymore. I fear him more than Laufey if that occurs. She has always been that stable force in his life, and he has been her stable force by protecting her from evil." Her eyes slid back to Thor. "Loki told her nothing, Thor. He kept her blind to what he was doing. Though many will not believe it, I can. He never wanted to expose to her the evil she experienced as a child."
Thor cleared his throat before looking at his mother. Though the wrinkles on her face were multiplying and becoming deeper, she still retained a youthful glimmer in her eyes. "What course of action do you believe should be done?" he asked.
"I believe helping her get to Earth would be best, Thor," she confessed. He stared at his mother with wide eyes. She smirked at him, hiding some deeper, more meaningful plan. "She needs to get away from here if she is to heal. There are not many people here who love her, even less now. She needs to be loved and given a place where she will not be judged. Earth may be the only place within the nine realms where she can find that."
"The problem will be to find these passages, Mother," Thor reminded. "No one was a greater master of magic than he."
"Finding them will not be a problem, my son," Frigga assured. "Njord and the Vanir are talented at magic. But so is Sigyn since she is a half breed; perhaps not nearly as talented." She turned her head as the door to the King's chambers began to creep open. In a whispered voice she murmured, "Laufey knew of these passages; it was how he was able to get to Earth when he waged war. Now that he is dead, one of his sons will have inherited the throne. They will most likely know the secret passages to Earth."
Thor and his mother could see Odin's back as he began to lead Njord out of the room. "The frost giants will kill us!" he retorted in a quiet voice. "Not to mention, Sigyn would never go there. She hates frost giants more than Loki."
Frigga had a smug smirk on her face. "Why would she hate frost giants? Her foster mother was one. The frost giantess Skadi, goddess of winter, was her mother for many years. She often accompanied Njord when he went to see the giantess. Sigyn is well received by the frost giants, Thor. Why do you think the giants let her go instead of killing her when they invaded our house?"
"Did Loki know?" Thor inquired further.
"No," his mother replied. "Njord and Skadi divorced many years before Njord found Sigyn, but he still visited Skadi in secret and only for brief moments. Skadi, after hearing about how the Vanir women treated the young Sigyn, often visited the girl to be her mother. She only stopped visiting Sigyn when she moved here to Asgard." Frigga shut her mouth as her husband and Njord fully emerged from their chambers.
Njord was a homely man. His beady black eyes were too small for his head while his nose was large and crooked. His lower lip hung open over his lower teeth, even when his mouth was closed because of his recessive chin. The god's hair was snow white with age, or at least what was left on his nearly bald scalp. Unlike an Aesir, Njord was a short, stout man with large, bulging muscles. He was also different in he wore animal pelts instead of elaborate tunics.
"What of my daughter, Njord?" Frigga inquired.
He stood straight when addressing Thor's mother. His hands were behind his back. "Sigyn will return home with me. In exchange, no ill shall be kept towards Odin's house." Njord gave a small bow to the queen. "You have been a wonderful mother, Frigga, but now she needs a father."
"I understand," she spoke somberly.
"May I come?" Thor asked, jumping into the conversation. Njord's aged eyes revered him both with respect and contempt. "I have given my word to the lady that I would aid her on her journey to becoming well. As she was my brother's wife, I—"
"Enough," he interrupted. "I tire of Aesir men and women. They have done little to do my daughter good."
"But you just said you would hold no harsh feelings between our houses!" Thor explained. He approached the old god without hesitation. He would not be bullied.
"In politics, no, I have overlooked this mess, Thor," Njord corrected in his heavy, Northern accent. "But personal relations are different. Your brother—"
"I am not my brother," Thor retorted. "Judge me for me, not on his actions or the actions of others here."
Njord regarded Thor for a moment before continuing to speak in his husky voice. "Very well, Thor. I shall allow it only because Sigyn speaks fondly of you. I suggest you pack light and warmly. I will be leaving within the next hour to return home by high noon. Be warned, should you wrong my daughter, you will suffer the same fate as your brother. I do not take kindly to silver tongues. "
Thor bowed towards him. "Thank you, Njord," he answered graciously.
Sif leaned against Thor's doorframe, watching him as he packed the last of his belongings into a grey duffle bag. She had her legs crossed at the ankles and her arms folded across her chest armor. With a less than pleased expression, she watched as Thor finished strapping his fur-insulated boots to his feet. There was sharp click as he pressed the last into place on his right foot. Thor sighed as he lowered his leg from his bed and straightened himself. His eyes met Sif's for a moment before parting.
He reached down, grabbing the leather strap as he hauled the bag over his left shoulder. With an extra humph, he had it secured on his shoulder. Thor looked to Sif, her dark eyes still boiling with questions and jealousy. "Say what you need to say now, Sif," he spoke calmly. "I haven't much time."
Without hesitation, she struck out with her voice being as sharp and deadly as the sword she wielded. "Why are you doing this?" Sif demanded. She outstretched her arm to block Thor's exit. He stopped in front of her, clearly not amused by his blank expression. "This is much more than sympathy for Sigyn." She gave a displeased huff. "This is about your human, isn't it?"
He did not possess Loki's silver tongue; he felt as if his were always made of lead. "Yes," Thor said frankly. "It is, Sif. Do you have any concerns about it?"
"Yes," Sif replied hastily. "What about us, Thor? What about Asgard? What about your father? Do we mean nothing to you?" The warrior glared hard at her prince, and he looked intently back at her. He need not answer her with words for her to see the love and pride he had for his family and Asgard. With a sigh she dropped her hand and moved out of the door, allowing Thor to pass through. "Don't fall for her acts, Thor," Sif commented. "Sigyn is not what she appears. She is not weak."
"I know, Sif," Thor spoke. "She has yet to find her strength, but it is there."
"I mean she's not some little girl," Sif explained. "She may look and act like it, but she has Vanir blood in her. It makes her dangerous."
He couldn't help but chuckle. "Since when do you judge someone by their heritage, Sif?"
She stared at him, unable to believe his question. "Loki was a frost giant. It was only natural that at some point he would become like them," Sif retorted. "The fact that she was his wife makes me question her innocence."
"Sigyn would not have wanted the frost giants dead," Thor said neutrally.
"How do you know?" Sif asked skeptically. "She hated those things as much as Loki."
Thor took a deep breath as he closed his eyes briefly. "There are things that we do not know about Sigyn; things that even Loki did not know," he assured. "But I have been told that she thinks differently than us, Sif. It is my hunch that she only pretended many things because she resides in Asgard. She probably kept quiet because she would be criticized for her ideas." He paused, looking down the golden corridor and out the window to see Njord's party beginning to leave the palace. "Look, Sif, I need to go… But I need you to keep watch."
"For what?" she asked as she refolded her arms.
"Loki," Thor whispered.
"What!" Sif exclaimed.
"Quiet," Thor ordered. He glanced down the hallway to ensure the guards would not hear him. "Look—" The prince began, careful to keep an eye on the guards. "Mother does not think him to be dead. It would not surprise me if he came back for my father. But it is my idea that Mother wants Sigyn gone from here in case he comes back. Loki will come looking for her if he believes her to be in trouble." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Will you do this, Sif?"
She gave a tiny nod before muttering, "Yes, Thor." He kissed the top of her hand and smiled at her with his eyes. Sif did not share his optimism. No, she could feel the start of something bad broiling in the pits of her stomach—the very same feeling she had had when Loki became temporary king.