Dagmar would have been well within her rights to attend Queen Frigga's celebration, but after much begging from Sigyn, she agreed to go back home instead. The last thing Sigyn wanted was for her mother to be at the festivities, shadowing her every move and generally making her more nervous than she already was.
Sigyn made her way back to the palace, going directly to the queen's chambers to help her finish getting ready for the evening. Prince Thor had been on his way from visiting with his mother and had passed her in the corridor, nodding and smiling at her in a way that suggested he held some secret knowledge. It did nothing to alleviate her anxiety.
After finishing with the queen's preparations, Sigyn went ahead to the banquet hall to make sure things were on schedule. Time slowed to a crawl, and before long, she found herself retracing her steps, repeatedly checking the same details in an attempt to keep busy.
At last, just before the royal family was scheduled to arrive, Sigyn made her way to the front of the crowd. She wanted the queen to be able to find her right away if she needed her assistance; however, she also wanted an unobstructed view of Prince Loki. She smoothed her hands over her dress nervously while she waited, willing herself to take slow and even breaths.
The sentinels guarding the door stepped aside, and the royal family was announced. The queen came through on the arm of her husband the King, their two sons on either side of them, all of them resplendent in their ceremonial attire.
To the right of the King was Prince Thor, his silver armor shining brightly against the dark blue of his clothing. Along with his royal bearing and infectious smile, his long red cape and winged helmet made him look every inch the crown prince he was. Sigyn thought to herself that when the day came and he settled into his birthright, he was likely going to surpass his father in popularity.
Yet for all of Thor's charisma, Sigyn's attention was drawn to Prince Loki, standing mere steps away to the left of his mother. It was the first time Sigyn had ever seen him up close in his formal armor. He looked glorious, the black and green of his clothing and cape contrasting sharply with the warm gold of his armor. His attire alone served to enhance his imposing presence; however, it was his helmet, with its wickedly curved horns adding to his already commanding height, which took her breath away.
If Thor could be compared to the daylight, warm and radiant, then Loki - Thor's counterpoint and opposite in every way - would certainly be the night. But the night had always been magical to Sigyn. It had a different sort of glow, cool and comforting. The night was full of secrets - and Sigyn wished to learn every one.
Loki turned his head, his eyes scanning the crowd, until he found her. He smiled, and Sigyn wondered what his mouth would feel like on hers, and if she would find out soon. Her heart jolted at the thought.
The royal family made their way to a table on a dais at the front of the room. Sigyn was seated directly in front of the platform with other palace staff, handmaidens and menservants who like her, were from minor noble families. A few times, she attempted to talk to her tablemates, but she was too distracted to keep up with their conversations for any length of time.
If she hadn't known better, she would have guessed that Loki had arranged for her seat to be facing him directly. Every time she raised her eyes his direction, he was looking her way, smiling but enigmatic. She felt as though he was studying her, and could only hope that he approved of what he saw.
Soon, the meal was over, and the tables were cleared and moved away to leave the middle of the hall open. Musicians appeared at the edge of the room, and the crowd made its way to the center to mingle and dance.
Sigyn watched as Loki made his way through the crowd. He had a quiet way about him, charming and polite. Men and women alike were enthralled by him, and it was clear to Sigyn that when Thor became king, Loki would be his most trusted advisor, able to handle the diplomacy and tact that Thor couldn't manage on his own.
No matter where she went in the room, Loki was never far away; his movement shadowed hers, the guests with whom he chose to visit always in close proximity to her location. Not for the first time, she wondered if his interest in her was all just a game to him, if she was just another piece to be played with and discarded once the game had concluded. But she knew she could no sooner stop playing than she could stop breathing.
She was invested now, and would see this game through to its inevitable conclusion, whatever it might be.
From the moment Loki had arrived with his family and found Sigyn in the crowd, he had been utterly captivated.
She was stunning, her soft brown hair pinned up and her dress – one he'd never seen her wear before - accentuating every curve of her body. The sight of her had warmed him up considerably, and he was thrilled when he was finally able to remove his helmet when the food was served.
At the meal, Thor noticed that Loki's food remained barely touched.
"You should eat, Loki," he said. "You will need your energy later."
"What do you mean?" said Loki with a sigh, picking at his food. He knew exactly what Thor meant. Subtlety had never been Thor's greatest strength.
"Your eyes haven't left her all evening," said Thor, gesturing Sigyn's direction with his fork. "Do you not wish to bed her?"
Loki hissed through his teeth. "Must you always be so crass?" was his only reply, even as his thoughts went to Sigyn's dress and how lovely it would look on his bedchamber floor.
Loki was certain Sigyn would not deny him if he asked her to spend the night with him; however, the desire he felt for her was more than merely physical. She deserved to be courted properly, and he intended to do just that.
But first, he had to make it through this interminable celebration.
As intensely as Loki wanted to find Sigyn and whisk her away, his duties as a prince had to come first. Once the meal was over and the tables cleared away, Loki made his way through the crowd, mingling and cajoling the guests with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
Even as he endured yet another lengthy diatribe from a diplomat about some issue on Muspelheim – or was it Vanaheim? Loki couldn't remember - he kept Sigyn in his sights, waiting patiently for a chance to pull her aside and escape the crowd.
As soon as he could, Loki excused himself from his guest's company and made his way to a table near the back of the room. His patience had run thin. If the opportunity to get to Sigyn was not going to present itself, he would just have to take matters into his own hands.
Edmund had Sigyn cornered by a table at the edge of the room, trying his best to persuade her to go home, and she was certain that Prince Loki would choose this exact moment to come find her. Sigyn wasn't sure that Edmund would be able to keep it from their mother if he started to suspect anything.
"It's getting late. Surely the queen is finished with your services for the evening?"
"I'm sorry, but she has asked me to stay for a while longer," said Sigyn. "Only until she retires for the evening." She almost felt bad for lying to Edmund with such ease, but the memory of Loki's breath on her cheek allowed her to push her hesitation aside.
"Well, at least Mother isn't here," replied Edmund. "I know you hate these functions, with her putting you on display like a prized pony."
"I do enjoy myself a bit more when no one is around to direct my every move," she said, hoping he would take the hint. She glanced around, afraid that she would see the prince approaching at any moment.
Edmund remained where he was, so she took his arm, turning him the other direction to encourage him to leave.
"What's got into you, Sigyn? You're acting very strange."
She forced a smile. "No man will be brave enough to approach me with you hovering, you know. Isn't there some young maiden waiting for you somewhere?"
"Now that you mention it, I do see someone who needs my attention," he said, an impish smirk on his face. He began to hurry off in the direction of the kitchens, turning back to Sigyn one last time after a few steps. "Just, please, don't stay out too late. I worry about you, you know."
"Yes, yes. Now go!"
As she watched Edmund dash away, she looked through the crowd, searching the guests for a flash of dark hair, a glint of warm metal, anything at all, but she came up empty. He had disappeared as surely as he had in the queen's chambers that morning.
He had been so close all evening, and now he was nowhere to be found. She sighed, mentally chastising herself. Of course he's gone Sigyn. He must have seen enough of you to realize his mistake. It doesn't matter what he said - you are a fool to think he would want to spend time with you.
A member of the kitchen staff passed her carrying a tray of wine, and she grabbed a glass off of it before he was out of reach. She downed it in two great gulps, wincing at the bitterness in her throat, before setting the glass on the nearest table.
She would need to find the queen and make her excuses first, but Sigyn suddenly wanted nothing more at that moment than to go home, go to bed, and forget her silly fantasies.
She started toward the part of the room where she had seen the queen last, when a bright light flashed from a table at the back of the room, followed quickly by another, and then several more.
Tiny fireworks in every color imaginable lit up the air around the queen's cake, illuminating the faces of the crowd. Every person in the room turned that direction, gasping with surprise and delight. Sigyn was just about to make her way toward it, when a hand on her elbow stopped her.
"Sigyn."
Her heart suddenly in her throat, she turned to the sound of her name, the voice in her ears the same one that had replayed in her mind since that morning.
"My mother has no more need of you this evening," said Prince Loki, holding his arm out to her. "Will you walk with me?"
"Of course, Your Highness," she said with a smile, before taking Loki's arm and allowing him to escort her out a door at the side of the hall and into the royal gardens.
"Those fireworks," said Sigyn as they entered a grove of apple trees. "Was that you?"
"Yes," said Loki, his face beaming with pride. "I have been impatiently waiting all night to spend time with you. If I had to listen to one more long-winded diplomat prattle on, I was going to go mad."
She didn't know if it was the wine she had consumed or the fact that she was walking arm in arm with the prince - it was almost certainly a bit of both - but Sigyn's mind had begun to buzz pleasantly. She couldn't help but grin at him, hoping that she didn't look too idiotic.
"When you vanished this morning, I was afraid I had dreamed our conversation," she said. She hated the way her words made her sound desperate, but the alcohol's effect on her head had loosened her tongue.
"This is no dream," he said, smiling back at her. "And if it is, I do not wish to be awakened."
They began to turn a corner, when a familiar voice caught Sigyn's attention. Before they were able to step from the shadows she stopped, pulling the prince back and allowing the dark to hide the two of them a moment longer.
She risked a peek around the turn, finding her brother Edmund with a maiden giggling at his side. Sigyn recognized her as the well-endowed kitchen maid that had passed the two of them in the corridor earlier in the day. He whispered into the maid's ear, and the blush she sprouted, evident even in the dim light, told Sigyn that his intentions were far from innocent.
"Ah, young lovers in the garden," said Loki. "But why have you stopped? Surely you don't mean to watch them."
"No!" said Sigyn, a bit too forcefully. She took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but that is my brother. I cannot allow him to see us."
"Why not?" Loki asked, his brows knitting together. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" He looked genuinely offended by the very idea.
"Oh no! It's not that at all," said Sigyn, desperate to explain. "It's just…well, my brother is very…overprotective. He would never allow us to pass without a disapproving comment to me later."
"You certainly appear to be a grown adult," said Loki, standing back and looking her over in a manner that made her feel as though he could see right through her dress. "Do you always give your brother so much authority over you and your choices?"
Sigyn opened her mouth to reply, only to snap it shut again. The prince was right; she had never thought twice about letting her brother hold such sway over her. For someone else to point out the obvious - especially someone she wanted to impress so badly - made her feel foolish.
She stole a look around the corner again, just in time to see Edmund and his prize make their way behind a stand of tall rose bushes, his hands deftly beginning to unlace the front of her dress.
Loki watched them before turning to Sigyn in disbelief. "He seeks to control you, yet he chooses to satisfy his own lust in the gardens of the palace. That doesn't seem fair, does it?" His eyes narrowed just a bit, a small smile playing at his lips. "How about we have a bit of fun at his expense?"
"Oh, no Your Highness, I couldn't-" Sigyn began to protest, swallowing the last of her words when the prince leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was the smallest of kisses, as chaste as one shared between children, but she was struck dumb. He pulled away, far too soon for her liking, and she darted her tongue out to taste her lips.
"There, I think we are familiar enough now. Please, just call me Loki."
"Yes, Your High-", she started, catching herself. "Sorry. Loki."
"That's much better, wouldn't you agree?"
She nodded slowly, her mind a pleasant fog. She didn't know which felt better on her mouth, his lips or his name. She would need to test them both again – and at length – to be sure.
"Sigyn, I too have an older brother who would condemn me to a life of his rules if I allowed it. Let me show you how it feels to take for yourself some of the control you have always wanted."
He stepped behind her, hands on her shoulders to turn her toward the bushes. Reaching around her, he raised his hand, splaying fingers that had taken on a ghostly green hue. Without warning, he dropped his hand sharply toward the ground, and every last leaf and petal on the bushes disintegrated…leaving Edmund and his now topless companion completely exposed behind the bare branches.
Their shouts of surprise and indignation followed them on the wind as Loki took her by the hand with a grin, quickly leading her down the nearest path.