By the time Queen Frigga returned to her chambers, Sigyn had composed herself and was fully absorbed in her duties. She kept her mind focused on her work and her service to the Queen, and the day went by quickly.
No mention was made of Loki and what they may have discussed, the Queen only alluding to any knowledge she held by suggesting that Sigyn wear her hair up that evening. "You have such a lovely face, dear; you should not obstruct it. There are those who look upon you with great interest."
Having rushed to prepare herself that morning, Sigyn was thankful for the chance to go back home and freshen up for the evening's festivities after her duties were complete. While she would still be expected to serve the Queen for a time at the celebration, she would also be allowed time to enjoy herself on her own. She wanted to be sure and look her best.
She opened the door to her apartment to find her mother waiting for her.
"Sigyn!" Dagmar stood up from the dining table, a necklace in one hand and matching earrings in the other. "I brought some of my best jewels for you to wear tonight," she said, holding the earrings up for Sigyn's inspection. "I was going to save these for your wedding day, but…" Her words trailed off, the unspoken thoughts of I fear that will never happen all too clear in her eyes. "We need to make sure you look presentable. There will be so many eligible bachelors there tonight - we cannot afford to lose any opportunity to catch their attentions."
Her frame favoring more of her father's heritage, Sigyn stood taller than her mother by several inches; yet Dagmar's imposing presence and commanding personality continued to have the effect of making Sigyn feel as though she was no more than a small child.
Sigyn and Edmund's father Ari, a minor Asgardian noble and ambassador, had died a few years prior, a casualty of a disastrous diplomatic mission to Niðavellir. Since that time, their mother had pinned all of her hopes for Sigyn on her finding a wealthy husband, the higher in society the better.
"Mother, do you not trust me to be able to groom myself?" said Sigyn. She loved her mother dearly, and she knew Dagmar meant well, but her constant interfering was exhausting.
"Of course I do," said Dagmar, brushing some stray lint off the sleeve of Sigyn's dress and fussing over her hair, her mannerisms giving the lie to her words. "I just thought you might perhaps like the advice of a female for a night as important as this. Edmund is not one to turn to for suggestions on clothing, you know."
Edmund would have insisted that Sigyn wear her most unflattering dress in the hopes of discouraging attention, as shielding as he was. Her mother and brother's contradictory opinions regarding Sigyn's romantic life were quite an ongoing source of frustration.
If things go well this evening, thought Sigyn, perhaps they will both have reason to leave me to my own affairs.
Sigyn walked to her room, her mother following so closely behind she would have run into her had she stopped short. Peering into her wardrobe, she decided on a blue dress she hadn't worn in a while, one that she felt emphasized all of her best features.
"Oh, that one is lovely dear. It matches your eyes so well. Now come - let us get you prepared."
Sigyn allowed her mother to draw her a bath, but shooed her out of the bathroom so she could soak in peace. She sank into the water, letting her mind wander to her earlier conversation with the prince.
I suspect that you would be well worth getting to know more…intimately, he had said, and she flushed at the memory. Had he merely been playing with her, hoping to intimidate her? And if so, to what end? He had quite the reputation in Asgard for trickery and deception, but Sigyn didn't know how many of the rumors were true. He had certainly seemed sincere enough.
It was enough to drive her mad. Mad with confusion, frustration, and above all, overwhelming desire.
That she desired him wasn't even a question. It was the why that concerned her. Was it because her last - admittedly disastrous - encounter had been so long ago? Or was her mother's insistence on finding a highly placed husband clouding her judgment, causing her to desperately look for a connection that wasn't there? She would know the answer soon enough, but it still bothered her to think her mother might be proved right.
A sharp knock on the door drew her from her thoughts; she had been in much longer than she thought, the water having turned lukewarm and her skin puckered like a raisin.
"Sigyn, we need to finish getting you ready."
"Just a moment, Mother." Dagmar's insistence on using the term 'we' in their conversations was exasperating. She spoke as if they were both being trotted out as potential trophies to willing suitors.
In fact, Sigyn didn't understand why her mother didn't try to find another husband for herself. There had been a customary mourning period after Sigyn's father died, but that had ended long ago. Dagmar would certainly not have been looked upon unfavorably by society had she chosen to remarry. But instead, she had focused all of her attention on Sigyn's future rather than her own.
Dagmar had never even asked Sigyn if she wanted to settle down, assuming that like most Asgardian women, finding a husband and bearing children were at the forefront of her mind. Sigyn had instead always dreamed of furthering her education, perhaps even becoming a diplomat as her father had been. But with every day that passed, those dreams seemed less and less likely to ever come to fruition.
Sigyn took a deep breath and stepped from the bath. She dressed quickly, sitting on the sofa to allow her mother to comb through her hair. Her mother suggested she wear it down - it looks so lovely around your shoulders dearest - but Sigyn convinced her to pin it up, insisting that it was best to keep it out of her way as she went about her duties.
She kept the news of her conversation with Prince Loki to herself. Sigyn was not ready for her mother to have that information quite yet. Her relationship with the prince was tenuous at best, and she wanted to protect it. Her mother could wait a little longer; if Dagmar had even the slightest hint that one of the royal sons had expressed interest in her daughter, she wouldn't be able to contain her excitement, potentially ruining anything before it even began.
Loki could hear Thor's thunderous footsteps long before they reached the door to his chambers. In a battle, his brother's inability to quietly slink anywhere caused Loki much distress; at home however, he was grateful for it. He wasn't fond of surprises.
As usual, Thor entered without knocking.
"Mother's birthday celebration is tonight, and here you are, nose in your books. Why am I not surprised?"
"Hello, Thor. Yes, please, do come in," said Loki, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Thor stalked into the room unabated; his complete lack of guile made it difficult for him to recognize mockery, even when it was aimed squarely at him.
"You would do well to at least open the curtains," said Thor, doing exactly that. "It is as dark as a cave in here. Soon, children will scuttle from you as they would a troll."
"Perhaps I should make my home under the Bifröst, demanding payment from those who wish to pass," said Loki, half under his breath. He had yet to lift his eyes from his book of spells, hoping his brother would take the hint and leave him to his studies. With the celebration preparations, he'd had precious little time to himself.
Once it was obvious that Thor had no intention of leaving, Loki looked up. "What do you want, Thor?"
Thor walked over to the desk, unceremoniously grabbing the book from Loki's hands. "I have just heard the most amazing news about you, and I'm here to confirm it for myself."
Loki gritted his teeth and leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out onto the surface of his desk. "Have you now? I can't imagine what you have been told about me that would have you so worked up," he said, folding his arms across his chest.
"I've just come from visiting with Mother, and she told me that you have expressed interest in courting her handmaiden Sigyn," said Thor, his face splitting into a wide smile as he leaned onto the desk, looking down at his little brother.
"Is that so?" said Loki, his face a mask of indifference, even as he silently cursed his mother's lack of discretion.
"I was beginning to believe you had forgotten just how warm a woman can be compared to the books you sleep with every night," said Thor, indicating the volumes of works covering every available surface of Loki's' chambers. "Or perhaps that you had forsaken women all together."
Loki bristled. "I'll thank you to keep your opinions about my lack of companionship to yourself, brother."
"I meant no offense," said Thor, plopping himself down onto the sofa at the foot of Loki's bed. "I just worry about you. I want you to be happy."
"And why would you assume I'm not?"
"Well, I certainly wouldn't be if I'd gone as long as you have without a proper fu-"
"By the Nine!" said Loki, halting him before he could finish. "Why is everyone so concerned about my bed and whom I share it with?"
"I believe I've touched a nerve," said Thor, flipping idly through the spell book he had taken from Loki and having no luck understanding the contents. Frustrated, he snapped it shut, pointing it at his brother to punctuate his words. "Perhaps a night with a young maiden is just the thing you need to cure your foul temper."
"Perhaps you leaving my chambers would work faster," said Loki. "I have work to do Thor, and you are keeping me from it." Removing his feet from his desk, he picked up another spell book and opened it to a well-worn page, earmarked and covered in handwritten notes.
"So, you do not deny it then?"
"Deny what?" said Loki, his eyes never leaving the page of the book.
"Mother's handmaiden! Have you not been paying attention to this conversation at all?"
Loki set his book down with a sigh and turned to Thor. "I do not deny it. Now will you leave me in peace?"
"That is wonderful!" said Thor, completely ignoring Loki's request. "She is quite lovely. Smart, too. Perhaps less voluptuous than I would prefer…"
"Your preferences are irrelevant," said Loki, cutting him off. "Besides, does Sif know of your predilection for chesty women?"
"You do not know what lies under Sif's armor, Loki. It hides more than you think."
"You can keep the details to yourself," said Loki, unable to suppress a small grin even as he rolled his eyes. He fingered the edge of his book nervously, letting the silence drag out before he spoke again. "Thor, you know I value your opinion above all others."
"And I yours, brother."
Loki took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Do you think it unwise of me to pursue her?"
Thor leaned forward from his seat and looked Loki directly in the eyes, disarmed by his sudden show of vulnerability. "Does she make you happy?"
"I don't know. But she intrigues me, and that makes me hopeful."
Thor stood, walking around to Loki's side of the desk to clap him on the shoulder. "Then I will happily bless your union, and pray that the fruit of your loins be abundant."
Loki shook his head, shrugging Thor's hand away. "Let's not plan a wedding just yet, Thor. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get some work done before this evening," returning to his book. "You can see yourself out."
With a quick motion from his hand, Loki opened the door to his chambers from across the room. Thor finally took the hint and left without another word, smiling once more in that way Loki had always hated and admired in equal measure.
It was a relief that he hadn't needed to resort to more drastic measures to make Thor leave. Once, he had pressed Loki's patience too far, causing Loki to use a fairly powerful spell to transport him to the women's bathhouse. Loki didn't want to explain something like that to their parents ever again.
After his brother's visit, Loki tried his best to continue his studies, but gave up fairly quickly. Studying spells required every bit of concentration he had, and he couldn't keep his mind from wandering after Thor left.
Wandering to thoughts of Sigyn.
His mother had employed beautiful handmaidens before, but few of them had ever held Loki's attention. Even when they had, they were almost never interested in the smaller, more studious brother when brawny and brash Thor was around.
Even Sigyn, for all her physical charms, may never have garnered a second glance if he hadn't spied on her.
It was something he did with all of his mother's handmaidens at least once, per her request. She wanted to be sure none of them were taking advantage of her, and so naturally she asked Loki for his help. His mastery of concealment, something that served him so well in battle, could be used to ferret out anyone wishing to do her harm.
And so, when the queen had asked him once again for his assistance after Sigyn's appointment, he had done so without hesitation.
Almost all of his mother's prior handmaidens, when left unchecked, would quietly poke around when the queen was not there, admiring her clothing, perhaps even her jewelry if they were bold. Loki had only ever caught one of them trying to take anything, and she was quickly and decisively replaced, never the wiser as to how she had been discovered.
But it was different with Sigyn. When Loki spied on her, what he saw fascinated him.
He found her to be a hard worker, diligent in her job and her service to his mother, just as he had hoped. But occasionally, when the opportunity arose and she was unsupervised, she would browse the books in the Queen's collection. She never asked to borrow any of them, instead relying on discreetly placed bookmarks and stolen moments to read them, slowly but methodically.
Never once had any of his mother's previous handmaidens even bothered to look at her extensive collection of books. The fact that Sigyn not only looked, but studied them, awoke something in Loki - something that had lain dormant in him for so long he'd nearly thought it extinguished.
Loath as Loki was to admit it, Thor was correct when he surmised that his brother had been without a lover for quite some time. Fandral had even thought to make a joke at Loki's expense once, suggesting to Thor that maybe the younger prince was more interested in horses than women when he thought he was out of earshot. Loki knew he shouldn't have been offended by his words - it was Fandral of all people, a man who had quite likely bedded half the women in the palace court - but they stung all the same.
Had he wanted to, Loki would have had no trouble finding someone to warm his bed at night. There was hardly a woman in Asgard who would turn down an opportunity to sleep with one of the princes, no matter what type of bedmate she preferred.
However, the truth was that Loki had lost interest in courting women who lacked curiosity and intellect - the very qualities that Sigyn seemed to have in abundance. He had to know more about her, so he began to visit his mother - and by extension, Sigyn - every chance he had.
Loki noticed immediately that his interest in her seemed to be reciprocated. She listened intently to his conversations with his mother, trying not to be intrusive as she went about her duties. He would frequently catch her watching him when she thought he wasn't looking, the blush on her cheeks giving her away every time.
Over the years, Loki had become adept at hiding his feelings when he wanted to, but he found it nearly impossible to deceive his mother. He knew Frigga loved his visits, but the fact that the frequency of those visits had increased dramatically after Sigyn's appointment did not escape her notice.
That morning, when he had suggested calling Sigyn in early, his mother had at last cornered him about his intentions.
"Loki, do you remember the names of any of my former handmaidens?"
"No…but I hardly see how that's relevant –"
"And yet you know Sigyn's name."
"Yes," he said, his tone cautious. "What exactly are you implying?"
"You are my son, and in some ways I know you better than you know yourself. When Sigyn is here, your eyes are filled with such longing it makes my heart hurt. If you wish to court her, I would not oppose it...and I would wager the throne of Asgard itself that neither would she."
Sigyn had appeared shortly after, and his mother had presented him with the perfect opportunity to speak to her alone. He would never have gone against his mother's wishes had she disapproved, but her encouragement had emboldened him. Loki had tested Sigyn, using both his physical presence and his language to deliberately provoke a reaction in her, and she had not disappointed.
Though dishonesty came as easily to him as breathing, Loki had been absolutely truthful when he told Sigyn that he was very much looking forward to getting to know her more intimately…in every sense of the word.