The weather was perfect. For any other bride, the clear blue sky would have been a sign for a happy future. There hadn't been a cloud seenall morning, and the temperature was absolutely wonderful. However, Sigyn couldn't help but feel as though all the loveliness around her was there to mock her; she saw no bright future in the cloudless sky. Birna had prattled on and on about all the blessings that a clear day could bring for a couple, and Sigyn could do nothing but force a rather pained smile and nod. Perhaps it truly was a sign that her future with Theoric would improve somewhat, but given the note she had recently received in regards to his absence, she naturally assumed otherwise.

It wasn't like Theoric not to return from his afternoon shift at the palace, and just as Sigyn had started to worry, a note mysteriously appeared tacked up to her door. As she read it, Sigyn noticed that it seemed oddly formal for her Theoric, but the signature at the bottom appeared to be evidence enough that it was not a forgery. It expressed Theoric's desire for them to remain apart until they were married, which was only a matter of days, but Sigyn still wished he would have discussed it with her first. She had purchased enough food for two people, and now that Theoric would not be there to dine with her, some of it was bound to spoil. Thus, when he realized the food had gone bad and their money was wasted, her then husband would surely blame her.

Still, it was actually pleasant having Theoric gone for more than half the day. Even though she wondered where he could possibly be, Sigyn preferred having the whole house to herself. She needed the space to mentally prepare for a life as Theroic's wife; Loki had promised to help her, and yet she hadn't seen him for what felt like an eternity. The prince had seemed so resolute when he last spoke to her, but as the days went by without a word from him, she began to wonder if he had grown tired of her. After all, while he may have professed to enjoy her attentions, he could surely find other women in court who would give him the same thing without the messiness that encompassed Sigyn's life.

A small part of her still hoped that Loki would keep his promise to help her, but that hope diminished with each step she took toward the House of Odin that morning. Birna had come to collect her shortly after sunrise, as she promised, and Sigyn was taken to be bathed in the ancient springs at the foot of a nearby mountain. It was a peasant's tradition to wash a bride clean on the day of her wedding, purging her of any misgivings she may have performed in the past. From there, she was tidied up and escorted by her soon-to-be mother-in-law to the palace. As many brides were, Sigyn was allotted a beautiful, open room at the top of a tower not used by the royal family. On her way up, her eye wandered for Loki's presence, and she felt herself deflate little by little the longer she went without seeing him.

In the sea of her frustration, Sigyn was forced to smile and nod for most of the morning as Birna chattered away. The older woman seemed to take it upon herself to give Sigyn the speech that her mother would have produced on the day of her wedding: how to please a husband. Not only was she uncomfortable for most of the conversation, Sigyn had to keep biting the insides of her cheeks to hold back the words that longed to slip out – your son saw to that already, actually. As always, however, she simply waited until the tirade was finished, and then offered what appeared to be signs of agreement, appreciation, and fell silent again.

The dress had been just as irritating an ordeal. The white mess was tailored to her figure, but Birna fretted over every piece of fabric as though it was the most ill-fitting garment she had ever seen. In the end, Sigyn deduced that it was her body that was ill-fitted for the dress, not the other way around. When she stared at her reflection in a long mirror strung up on the marble wall, Sigyn felt nothing but cold. There was a chill on her arms that she couldn't shake, even after Birna placed her monstrously long veil atop her head.

Once she was dressed and primped, Birna had the decency to give her a few moments of solitude before the actual ceremony. Sigyn then found herself before the gaping window of the tower, gazing down as dozens of people she had never spoken to before file in to the ceremonial hall below her. In that moment, she realized it would have been so easy to step off. Not that she would ever toss her life away so carelessly, but she suddenly understood why a woman may desire to do so. There she was, at the end of her life as a free woman; where was she to go from here? Into the arms of a man who had no want to better himself for her? Home with that man who may one day be the end of her?

Yes, Sigyn could understand. She understood the hopelessness, the need to see things in a different light – nay, the need to have things in a different light. This was the first time in her life that she saw everything clearly. As much as she loved Theoric (deep down, anyway), he would inevitably be the death of her.

"Oh, you should see how lovely the hall looks!"

Birna's voice startled Sigyn from her musings so violently that she actually almost tumbled off the side of the tower. However, she grasped the corner of the wall, keeping herself from falling to her death, and then turned back to face the woman. There she was; her future mother-in-law stood before her in a horrible brown dress that, if it was possible, made her look even more tree-like than normal. Sigyn had not been present when she selected the garment, but when the older woman informed her of it in intricate detail, Sigyn was sure to give the appropriate amount of praise. Now, however, she found it difficult to get her lips to move again.

"Surely not as lovely as that dress," Sigyn managed weakly. She smiled when the woman did a turn for her, showing off the full horror that the dress entailed; it even had a bow on her lower back.

"Now, now," Birna chortled. She had clearly been in a rush to both sneak a peek at the hall and change into the brown tragedy, as her cheek colouring was smudged. "I tried my best not to outshine the bride, but I know that this dress is close!"

The woman was an absolute bundle of excitement – precisely what Sigyn should have been. It was so obvious that Birna's emotions stemmed from the fact that her son was finally marrying in the House of Odin, and not because Sigyn was going to join the family. No matter; perhaps her excitement would develop an infectious quality, one that may bite Sigyn before she arrived at the ceremonial hall.

"Now, we must pull this over your face," Birna insisted, stepping into Sigyn's personal space for the hundredth time that day in order to draw the ridiculous veil over her head. She sighed softly, and resisted pointing out that almost no one hid the bride's face anymore. However, it did offer a bit of a shield between her and the rest of the world, and with her face covered, her smile could falter. The warmth no longer needed to reach her eyes, not with her expression masked.

Before she knew it, the hour had struck, and Birna thrust a large bouquet of orange flowers into her hands. She would have preferred a less obnoxious colour to carry down the aisle, but seeing as it was the hue of Theoric's family banner, it only made sense she carry them. As she followed that great bear of a woman outside of her dressing room and down to the waiting area before the ceremonial hall, she spied four other women clad in identical purple dresses. They were the wives of Theoric's closest allies in the Hawkes; most of them she knew only by name, and none had ever carried on more than a polite conversation with her at social gatherings. What a silly façade the bridal party was; she barely knew anyone, and yet they were, in theory, her nearest and dearest in this world.

She stood by Birna as the older woman organized the pairings – naturally, husbands went with wives, but Birna's input was required for the appropriate order – and spoke to no one in the process. Instead, Sigyn busied herself with the flower arrangement in her hands, hoping to look purposeful and focused as she plucked at petals. They really were quite lovely, those orange blossoms: large, encompassing, with tiny green flecks running along the inner flesh of each petal. Perhaps, when all of this was over, she might plant a few of her own in her garden, which was slowly coming back to life after Theoric's tantrum.

Then she heard it; a door must have opened somewhere, as she heard music commence, voices hush, and suddenly everything was moving so quickly. Birna went along first, and Sigyn's eyes followed her down a hallway, passed a set of gold columns, and then out a rather enormous doorway. Her breathing picked up, and she glanced over her shoulder as the first pair from the bridal party started in the slow procession. There were only a few servants milling around behind her, none of whom had said a word to her otherwise – they seemed to be minding another very large set of doors, which could quite possibly lead to the reception hall.

If she had the chance to run, it would have been now. Unfortunately, the bridal party was ushered out quickly, and very soon there was an older handmaiden of the queen at her side. The woman had appeared out of nowhere, though she wore a supportive smile as she placed a hand on Sigyn's lower back and gave a little push in the direction she ought to go. Her feet were incredibly stiff as she started forward, but somehow she encouraged them to move, one in front of the other beneath her thick skirt.

As much as she disliked the veil floating in front of her face, she was once again appreciative of its ability to shield her from the rest of the world. The ceremonial hall was surprisingly full as she entered, her hands shaking as all eyes in the room turned toward her sharply. At the end of the aisle, she saw the All-father standing next to Theoric, his hands knotted together behind his back. She swallowed thickly, and turned her gaze to the floor as she moved down the centre aisle. Before she reached the few stairs at the end, she could already feel the tears brimming over in her eyes. She swore to herself that she wouldn't cry until she was actually Theoric's wife; a small part of her still hoped that Loki would come to her rescue.

However, each step removed what little hope she had, and when she stopped at the first step, quivering under the All-father's brazen stare, she realized Loki wasn't coming to help her. No, he had certainly given up – found someone else to devote himself to.

A bridesmaid helped her up the stairs, offering to carry her heavy skirt for most of the journey. She laid it out neatly at Sigyn's feet, smoothing down the crinkles and folds, and then returned to the other women in purple at the left.

Theoric certainly looked handsome in his uniform, the red clashing with her orange bouquet, but as she expected, he held no warmth in his features. She suddenly realized she was supposed to hand her flowers off, and turned back quickly to deposit the cluster into the awaiting hands of another bridesmaid. It was only then that Theoric stepped forward, extending both hands, palms up, for her to place hers into. She tried to still her shaking as she moved, her eyes fixed on their clasped hands rather than his face.

It was an honour to be married by Odin. There was a waiting list that ran for miles and miles, as every young couple wanted to tell their children that the ruler of the realm had joined them. A terrible guilt welled up within her as she contemplated it, only half-listening to the ceremony; she did not want to be here. She would have loved for Odin to marry them at some other time, in a time when they weren't so fractured and broken.

They exchanged rings, both of which were heirlooms for Theoric's family, and it wasn't until the All-father asked for objections that Sigyn startled out of the fog around her. Both she and Theoric looked out toward the crowd, and she felt his hands tighten around hers; they both looked for Loki – undoubtedly. When only silence met Odin's demand, Sigyn sniffled softly, extracting one hand from Theoric's grasp to reach beneath her veil and wipe a tear away. This was it – she was finally going to be a wife.

Perhaps it would be fine. Perhaps she worried for nothing, and Theoric's tendencies might ease once he knew she had nowhere else in this realm to go. She tried to reassure herself, keep her thoughts positive, but every time she did so, she could feel the urge to weep growing.

She braced herself for the gesture that would seal her fate, eyes shut firmly and body stiff as Theoric kissed her, the veil still stuck between them; surely he knew he was supposed to lift it? She could almost hear Birna sighing noisily in the crowd, despite the cheers. When he broke away, Sigyn finally forced herself to look at him through the haze of white, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. In that moment, however, she noticed something had changed; his eyes were not the right colour.

She questioned herself for a moment – had they always been green? – and then gasped when more features started to change right before her eyes. His broad nose thinned, as did his lips, and the man before her started to grow taller, leaner. His hair lengthened beneath his helmet, which he pulled off and tossed aside – Loki.

Not Theoric… Not at all. Loki.

Her hands flew to her mouth as the All-father let loose a thunderous growl, and the crowd behind them broke out into heated whispers and cries. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, barely registering the All-father's demand for Theoric's whereabouts, and she realized she wasn't technically married to Theoric in the slightest bit – she was Loki's wife.

He saved her.

"You have broken my trust once more, Loki," Odin snapped, and Sigyn flinched when she saw a deep-seated anger the All-father seldom expressed in public. It was so visible now, etched in his eyes and on the crinkles of his face. She couldn't possibly see how this action earned a father's hatred, but perhaps she was missing some of the story. Loki, meanwhile, merely gazed down at her, his expression unreadable. "You are no longer welcome in the city of Asgard, nor will you be welcome in our near future."

"One day, perhaps."

Sigyn watched him turn and stroll down the wide steps, taking each one with such slow deliberation that she had to commend the lingering Hawk warriors for not lunging for him. It was a tease, to be certain. However, a quick blink made her realize precisely what had happened; the All-father had banned Loki from his home, from their city, just as he had anticipated. Naturally, when Odin banished someone, their punishment was effective immediately.

Her mind moved from one thought to the next in rapid succession. Loki must leave the city, as that was his punishment for his deception on her behalf. Her husband – as they were officially married under Odin's law – would not even be permitted to stay with her on their first, or any night in the immediate future. She would be alone. No, not alone – she would be sent to stay with Birna, or some travesty of that nature while the Hawks and the All-father searched for her missing Theoric. She wasn't sure if Loki had hidden him away, or if Theoric had simply gone on a mission and some ill deed had befallen him. Whatever the case may be, someone would bring him back eventually, and they would try to find a way to annul her marriage to Loki – even if that was against Asgardian law – and she would remarry as Theoric's wife.

No.

"Leave this place, Loki. You can return when the trust you have shattered on this day is regained."

The All-father's words rang through the oddly stiff, silent hall, and Sigyn felt immobilized as she watched him stroll down the aisle. Suddenly, there was a hand on her arm, gentle and careful, and she almost found herself flinching away.

There were tears on her cheeks that even she couldn't quite understand.

"You are, of course, welcome to stay with us," the All-father stated, his voice loud enough for the first few rows of guests to hear. She couldn't decide if that was for the sake of Theoric's family, or for Loki to hear, but Sigyn wouldn't have it.

Instead, she brought her shaking hands up and removed Birna's veil, her head quite relieved to have the heavy pressure lifted. That too was handed to a nearby handmaiden, who tried to say something – now they would wish to speak to Sigyn – but she turned away too quickly to hear a thing that was said. She could feel the eyes of the hall on her, all the eyes except the green ones of her husband, and she felt as though she was going to throw up her breakfast everywhere.

However, despite her queasiness, she managed to push through the sickly feelings and produce a small smile, one that may have looked sad to an unassuming observer.

"Thank you, All-Father," Sigyn murmured, careful that her tone did not sound disrespectful, "but I am married now."

Part of the royal family now – a new daughter of Odin.

"I am bound to my husband," she carried one, turning back to the aisle to beseech her new husband; her words were for him, not for their audience, "and my loyalty and life is his… Those were the words we spoke. Wherever my husband goes, I must go too."

She had said vows. She said them as Sigyn to the warrior in front of her, and it just so happened that the warrior was Loki in disguise. If she stayed, his sacrifice would be for nothing. Her feet managed to move her one tentative step forward, hands clutching the skirt of her dress as she silently begged for Loki to save her – just one more time.

He seemed stunned, her new husband, that she had offered to go along with him, but after a moment or so of contemplation, he extended his hand in her direction. She breathed a small sigh of relief, and then hoisted up her skirts to ease her dash down the steps and up the aisle. Once close enough, she placed her hand in his, which was shockingly cool, and they hurried toward the massive set of doors in the midst of outraged cries and chatter.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So, this chapter was going to have a Loki POV that followed this, and then end with a brief Thor POV. However, it's been just over a month since I updated, so I'm going to just give you what I have, and then add those sections to the next chapter. My wrists have been really bad lately due to overuse and writing chapters that are way too long, so I figured I'd give what I could. I also plan to work on the next chapter ASAP, and maybe have it out within the next week or two.

I'm glad that we have finally come full-circle and gotten back to the wedding ceremony. I've been doing more character developing in my overall story plan for this baby, along with adding a few new adventures that I hadn't pictured before, so I'm excited to get going. This will, as always, probably be my slowest Loki-centric fic to get update, but I'll try to be consisted with one to three updates a month, more when I'm finished with school in the spring.

I also changed a few of the words from the prologue, but essentially the dialogue in the wedding scene is the same. One day, I'll go back and do the proper edits!

MUCH LOVE TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS! YOU'RE ALL WONDERFUL!