I made this one hurt a bit. I would apologize, but I'm not really that sorry. *oops*

Laughter echoed through the halls of the palace. The two princes of Asgard strolled down the corridor, regaling each other with fond memories and comedic tales.

"I could not believe it!" Thor exclaimed.

"Yes, but the best part was when Sif started laughing!" Loki chuckled, "She couldn't help herself!"

"And then he could not figure out why we were all laughing ourselves!"

"I know! Volstagg looked ridiculous without his beard! I cannot believe he did not feel it missing!"

"Oh, and then he tried to challenge you to a duel!"

"And I did not even do it! Twas Fandral that shaved it off while he slept!"

They leaned into each other, guffawing with laughter, glad Volstagg was not there to hear. He never did quite forgive them. The brothers continued down the corridor, wiping their eyes, when a noise caught their attention. Someone was running toward them, and they stopped moving, unsure of whom it could be. It was a young woman, they saw at last, with golden hair and dressed in vibrant blue. She seemed extremely distressed. Thor gripped Loki's shoulder just as the latter recognized the girl.

"Oh, gods… Sigyn."

Loki stepped forward to meet her, taking her face in his hands and asking softly, "Sigyn, what's wrong? What's happened, love?"

She just shook her head furiously, unable to speak. She was sucking in short, gasping breaths, tears streaming down her face, her cheeks red and blotchy. Her whole body was shaking. Loki whispered, "Thor, help me," before leading Sigyn out to the gardens, Thor at her other arm. It took several minutes to calm her down. Loki carefully embraced her, whispering soothing words and drying her tears. Much to his credit, Thor remained silent the entire time. At long last, Sigyn choked out, "Loki, I don't know what to do. I begged my father, pleaded with him to do otherwise, but he stood firm!"

"On what? What happned?"

"Father has promised me to another man!"

Loki's heart dropped into his stomach. This was not possible. This was never supposed to happen.

"It is Theoric Thialfison, but I do not wish to marry him! I do not love him!" she continued, "I love you, Loki! You are the only one I have ever loved! I will die if I must marry him!"

"No," Loki said immediately, "no, don't speak like that, darling. You will not marry him. I will make sure of it. I shall personally talk to both my father and yours, and I will make sure that very soon, I will be the one you are promised to… the one you will marry."

Sigyn was crying again, nodding and trying to smile through her tears. The younger prince placed a kiss on her forehead and then wrapped his arms around her, looking to his brother. He hoped Thor saw the anger in his eyes. After a while, Sigyn had calmed enough to return home with his promise to right everything.

"What will you do, brother?" Thor asked once Sigyn was out of earshot.

"Anything."

First, he went directly to Odin and Frigga, saying, "I know that it is custom for the eldest to be the first betrothed, but I beg you to make an exception just the once, Lady Sigyn has been promised to another, but neither of wishes for the marriage to happen. We… we are in love. We love each other more deeply than anyone can know. Please, let me save the woman I love."

Frigga leaned in and whispered to her husband, clearly moved by their younger son's plight. Odin considered her words briefly, then said to Loki, "If the lady's father can be moved, then we will certainly agree to it. We are happy for you, my son."

Loki's heart leapt with joy, and he turned to face his elder brother, the blonde man grinning widely.

"We'll go to her father tomorrow, Thor. By tomorrow night, Sigyn will be mine, and I hers."

He couldn't wipe the smile off his face all day, but it was done for him the following afternoon.

Loki and Thor went to the house of Brynjar and were graciously received by Sigyn and her father. There was polite conversation between them all, as was custom and courtesy, but Loki swiftly got to his point.

"Sir, I have come to you to talk about your daughter," the prince said calmly.

Brynjar nodded and waved a hand, so he continued, "I have been informed that Lady Sigyn has been promised to Theoric Thialfison. I am here to beg you to reconsider and instead have her betrothed to me."

"Please, father," Sigyn added, "I pray you listen to him. Please."

The old warrior sighed, saying, "Prince Loki, you are a fine young man. You are wise and a good warrior. However, I am afraid I cannot agree to your request. Thialfi is an old comrade and friend of mine, and he and I have made an oath. Theoric has long desired the hand of my daughter."

"So have I, sir. I have long courted Lady Sigyn."

"Father, please…"

"I am sorry. I cannot break such an oath and dishonor this family on a whim."

"It is not a whim!" Sigyn half-shouted, "I love him! I have always loved him!"

"I am sorry."

Sigyn looked as if she wanted to say more, but emotion choked her voice. She only let out a sob and ran for her chambers, unable to bear the conversation any longer. She was gone by the time Loki found his voice again.

"Fine. Then tomorrow I go to the house of Thialfi, and perhaps I shall make him see sense. I'm sure they can be persuaded. Good day."

He swept out of the old warrior's hall, Thor behind him.

"Are you sure that is wise, Loki?" Thor whispered.

"Wise? Possibly not… but it will be worth it. Of that I am sure," Loki replied, his voice dangerous.

For the first time in his life, Loki was determined to get his way, determined to do whatever it took to make people see he was right, and the gods help anyone who got in his way. He woke the next day prepared to do what he said he would, but it was not meant to be.

Loki was summoned to the Halls of Healing early in the day, although for what the guard would not say. The younger prince went to Thor, asking him to accompany him, dread settling in his stomach like a lead weight.

"The Halls of Healing? Who is injured?"

"I do not know. The man would not tell me."

They went together, Loki's heart pounding in his chest. It could not be a member of the royal family, or Thor would have been summoned also. It was the same for any of their common friends, and Loki had few friends that were not also Thor's. He was at a loss for who it could be. The brothers stopped at the doors. Nothing was said. Thor simply squeezed his brother's hand before pushing open the doors. A young Healer's apprentice rushed forward, saying, "Prince Loki, Prince Thor. Please, follow me, my lords," and ushering them to follow her. She led them through the maze of beds in the hall until they reached one shrouded by a curtain. The young woman pulled the curtain aside, murmuring, "I am sorry, my lords."

Loki's legs gave way immediately, sending him crashing to the floor, a quiet whimper escaping his lips.

"What happened to her?" he heard Thor ask, "Was she attacked? Is she injured?"

"Lady Sigyn was found like this," the apprentice explained, "Her father found her this morning and had her brought to us. There appears to be nothing physically wrong with her. She seems to have just… fallen asleep, and she will wake for no one. The Head Healer believes that in her mind she lost the will to live, but her heart still hopes and beats. She's just… asleep. We are not sure how long it will last."

Someone brought chairs for the princes, and Loki managed to pull himself up off the floor and into one. He reached out and gently took her hand in his own. Leaning in close, he whispered, "Sigyn… my darling… my love… please, please wake up… for me… for Loki. I do not know why you have left me. Did I not promise to right this for us? If only you gave me more time… if you come back, we can still be together. Please… please, just wake and return to me, my love… my precious Sigyn…

Loki's voice finally failed him. He ducked his head, willing his tears not to fall, not here. He sat by her side all day, one hand clutching hers until a Healer and said they had to leave for the day. (He'd forgotten Thor hadn't already left.) Loki slowly got to his feet and leaned over her bed to plant a gentle kiss to her lips, murmuring, "I shall just have to wait for you to return to me."

Thor walked with him back to his chambers. Only once he was there and was sure no one was around did Loki's mask fall away. A small, choked noise escaped his throat, his head bowed as if Thor did not already know he was ready to break. The blonde stepped closer to his inky-haired brother but stayed quiet. Loki's whole body was shaking finely. His throat was constricted, his chest tight, his eyes burning and wet. The dam was going to break and soon, so he just looked up at his brother and whimpered, "It isn't fair."

He was pulled into Thor's arms just his face crumpled and his tears fell. It was like when they were children, and Loki was being taunted and tormented by the other boys. His brother had always been a safe haven, as he was now, one in whom he could always confide, who would never reveal his secrets. Now, he would have to pull Loki through this. Did the younger prince not deserve happiness? What had he done wrong in his life that the gods treated him thusly? Had he made himself somehow unworthy? He wished he could voice his thoughts as he wept into his brother's shoulder, but his words were lost to his grief. Thor simply held him tight, gently shushing him until he was completely cried out, his energy utterly spent. It gave him a blissfully dreamless sleep that night.

The raven-haired prince turned increasingly bitter to his fellow Asgardians (save for Thor until that day) over the next year. He pulled all manner of pranks on the members of the royal court. Frigga tried to calm and placate him, while Odin sought to punish him, even marginally; Frigga won out. She seemed to understand that her son's bitterness stemmed from the loss of Sigyn to her sleep and was loathe to reprimand him for loving and being hurt by his love. Meanwhile, even as he sat with his beloved, Loki was slowly consumed by anger.

Then came his trick with the Jotuns and Thor's banishment and the horrifying truth of his heritage and his brief stint as king and his fight with his elder brother.

No, I was never his brother.

The Bifrost was now broken, Thor hanging from Odin's grasp and Loki from Gungnir in Thor's. As soon as the word no left his once-father's lips, Loki knew he only had one choice. He thought of the abyss of empty space below him. He thought of what would happen to him when he fell into it. Just before he let go and fell, he thought of Sigyn and her smile and her eyes and her hair and everything about her.

He wanted her to be the last thing he remembered in this life.