A note came for Sigyn right before her duties were completed. It was short and to the point.
Come to my chambers, and we will talk.
There was no signature, just a seal in green wax - a horned helm - to indicate who sent it.
She had only the vaguest idea of where Loki's chambers were, but she knew she was in the right place when she saw the door - it was elaborate, the golden metal that decorated it much like his armor. There was no mistaking it for anything but the chambers of a prince. Sigyn knocked twice, rapidly, before she could change her mind and flee.
"Come in." There was no anger, yet no affection in the words. Sigyn thought blind rage would have been better than the guarded and controlled voice that greeted her.
The door made no noise as it swung in on well-oiled hinges, revealing a sumptuous room lit by the fading daylight outside the windows and the warmth of a fire just out of sight. Particular about every detail, she thought. Not surprising.
His chambers were only slightly smaller than those of the Queen, but every available expanse of wall was covered in shelves, all of them heavy with volumes of material. He hadn't been lying when he said he had quite a collection of books. Sigyn had hoped her first time to see them would have been under better circumstances.
As she stepped in, she took in the features of the room: the dark wood of the floor, the high ceiling, the sitting area in front of the fireplace. She tried to resist, but she couldn't help flicking her eyes to the ornate bed on the side wall, covered in a tangle of sheets and furs. It was the one area of the room that wasn't orderly, the one place that seemed even slightly welcoming - and the one place she wasn't sure she would ever be allowed.
Loki was seated at his desk across the room. Wearing only a light tunic and breeches, his chambers were plainly where he allowed himself to relax and be comfortable. He made no move to get up and greet her, only motioning toward the chair across from him to indicate that Sigyn should sit. He said he wants to talk, but will he truly listen?
His normally bright eyes were ringed in dark circles, as though he had not slept well since he last saw her. He watched her carefully as she settled in the chair, appearing to analyze every movement she made. It was as though he was testing her resolve - and Sigyn was determined not to lose her nerve. He was silent, apparently waiting for her to begin.
"Your Highness," she said, automatically reverting back to formality under his penetrating gaze. "Thank you for asking to see me." She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw some flicker of emotion - regret? disappointment? - at her use of his title instead of his name.
"We did leave things quite unfinished."
"Yes, we did," she said with a sigh. "I'm only asking you to listen to what I have to say. When I'm done, you can decide if you want to pick up where we left off...or if you never want to see me again. I will respect your decision either way."
Sigyn continued without waiting for another response. She told him of her mother, and the pressure Dagmar placed on her to find a wealthy, connected husband. "I didn't want to say anything about it before, because I was afraid you would think I was with you for the wrong reasons."
"You can't deny that as a suitor, I would certainly raise your position in society considerably." It wasn't a boast, just a simple statement of fact.
"Of course I recognize that," said Sigyn. "But that's not why I was attracted to you in the first place." She could feel her voice rising in anger with every word, skirting the edge of insolence, but she could not stop herself.
"I avoided telling my mother about you as well, not knowing if it was worth raising her hopes - not knowing how you truly felt about me. Why would I hide you from her if I was only after you for your status?" She rubbed her hand over her chest, trying without success to ease the ache gathering there. She was weary of crying, but it was getting more and more difficult to hold in the tears.
"When she showed up unexpectedly…I-I panicked. I only wanted her to leave, so we could spend the rest of the afternoon together. Alone." She leaned forward in her chair, reaching her hands across his desk. He seemed so far away. "I never meant to hurt you. It breaks my heart to know that you think you're not important to me.
"Your Highness, I have cried more tears than I can count over the past two days. Not since my father died have I cried this much. If that isn't proof of your worth to me, then I don't know what is."
She sat back into her chair, gathering courage for the rest, knowing she may never have another chance to say everything she needed to say. "However, to be completely honest, I'm not just hurt - I'm angry. I'm angry you didn't listen to me, that you didn't give me a chance to explain before now. I'm angry that you would leave things unspoken."
Loki narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to speak, but she continued. "I'm not in the habit of inviting men into my bed on a whim. You are not some sort of trophy to me. I wanted to give myself to you because…because…" She drew a deep breath. "I love you. If we never speak again, you should at least know that."
She slumped in her chair, clasping her hands in her lap. She was emotionally spent from revealing so much to him, things she would have been happy to say in any other situation. But this…this was just draining.
She heard him stand, his bare feet making almost no noise he came around the desk. He stopped beside her just long enough to brush her hair from her shoulder. "Sigyn," he said, "I don't want to talk anymore." He began to walk toward the door.
"I understand, Your Highness," said Sigyn, certain he was throwing her out. She stood and followed him with her head down, shame burning hot on her cheeks. At least he allowed me to have my say.
Loki grasped her arm as she made to pass him. Instead of opening the door, he reached past her and bolted the lock in place.
"I didn't say I wanted you to leave," he said, his voice low. "I only said I didn't want to talk anymore."
Sigyn barely had time to register his meaning before he closed the distance between them, pulling her in tight to his body. "For the first time in so very long, I am at a loss for words. Let my actions speak for me instead." He cradled her head and moved in to kiss her.
She stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Just so we're clear, I'm still angry."
"So am I," he said, moving her hand. "Just so we're clear."
His lips met hers, and she melted into his touch, deepening the kiss as she drew her hands up his back to pull him closer to her. All of the tension she held in ebbed away, all of the frustration and disappointment of the past few days pouring out of her. Her world narrowed down to just the two of them, everything and everyone else forgotten.
He broke their kiss and leaned his head back, keeping their bodies locked together. "One last thing. No more 'Your Highness'. Just Loki." He leaned back into her, nuzzling up her neck to whisper in her ear. "I will make you scream it until you are hoarse if you need help remembering."
Sigyn's eyes fluttered closed, her breath shallow, every nerve in her body alight. "Yes…Loki," were the only words she could summon to her lips.
At that, he moved quickly, scooping her up into his arms and wasting no time carrying her directly to the bed. As he laid her across the top, she thought to herself that it was just as soft and welcoming as she had imagined.
She shifted and felt something hard digging into her back. She reached under her body and pulled out a book - the binding covered in runes she couldn't read.
"No more books in my bed," said Loki, more to himself than her, taking it from her with barely a glance and tossing it to the floor. "And no interruptions this time." He turned back to the door, an incomprehensible incantation on his lips. Sigyn watched as the bolt on the door shimmered, a spell freezing it in place.
Turning back to her, he climbed onto the bed and straddled her knees. He leaned over her on one hand, and began to unlace the top of her dress with the other, slowly and methodically. She kept her eyes on his, feeling the fabric loosen and fall away, and with it, all of her remaining inhibition.
He looked down at her, his hair falling wild around his face and his eyes locked on hers, the green irises nearly swallowed whole in wide pupils, and in that moment, she knew that she had no power to resist him - that she would gladly do anything he asked of her.
He leaned in for a slow kiss, before rising back up and pulling the top of her dress down her shoulders and off her arms, gathering it at her waist. Eager to be free of it, she lifted her hips just enough to pull the dress down her legs and completely off her body, tossing it off the side of the bed along with her shoes.
Abruptly, he stood up and pulled her to the edge of the bed, leaving her legs hanging over at the knees. Reaching behind her, he gathered several pillows and placed them under her head, allowing her to watch him as he took in the sight of her.
"I've missed you terribly," he said, his voice shaky with anticipation.
He pulled his tunic up over his head, and the clear outline of his arousal against the front of his breeches told Sigyn just how much he had missed her. She had no time to do more than glance at him before his mouth was back on hers, their chests skin to skin, her hands tangled in his hair.
He slid down her body, his mouth and hands traveling down her neck, to each of her breasts and low across her belly. Finally, he was on his knees beside the bed, his nimble fingers hooking into the top of her undergarments and pulling them smoothly down her legs, baring her body to him completely.
She'd only had a few lovers, but none of them had ever been so intense. Loki's gaze traveled the whole of her figure, his fingertips lingering over every part of her as though he was committing her to memory. It was too much to bear, and Sigyn threw her arm up over her eyes, unable to stand the scrutiny.
"No, no," he said, reaching up to move her arm away. "Look at me, Sigyn."
He skimmed his palms back down over her body before stopping at her knees, his eyes never leaving hers. Gently, he pushed her legs apart and began kissing up the insides of her thighs, alternating back and forth between each leg, every press of his lips like a flame on her skin.
His pace was maddeningly unhurried, and she couldn't help but reach down and grab his head in frustration, trying to encourage him to go faster. He merely chuckled at her, her strength no match for his. "Patience, love," he said, raising his head between kisses. "There's no need to rush."
Sigyn was nearly delirious with arousal by the time he finally reached his goal, setting his mouth to her center with passion, his strong hands on her hips the only thing keeping her onto the mattress. She raised her feet to the edge of the bed, allowing her knees to fall to the sides, a litany of praise and affirmations streaming from her mouth.
He hooked his arms around her legs, resting her thighs on his shoulders and effectively holding her to him - his lips, tongue, and fingers working together in ways Sigyn hadn't known were possible. Not one of her former lovers had ever been so concerned about her pleasure before his own, and Sigyn thought her heart would burst from the intimacy of it.
He was relentless in his attentions, and in no time at all she was convulsing beneath him, her breath torn from her lungs in one long moan, one hand tangled in his hair and one grasping at the sheets as she came apart.
Loki remained where he was, his breath hot on her leg as he gave her a moment to recover. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
She wanted to reply - By the heavens, why did you make me wait? - but before she could he stood and swiftly shed his breeches. He leaned over her, one arm reaching around her to sweep the pillows behind her head unceremoniously to the floor, his other arm around her to lift and push her back to the center of the bed. As he settled his weight onto her, Sigyn wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in close; yet, even in her state of relaxation, she couldn't help but stiffen in anticipation.
"Relax," he said, caging her head between his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes as he pushed into her. "I love you," he said to her astonishment, repeating it between kisses. "I love you...I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied, without hesitation. "Don't ever doubt it again."
He shed what little remained of his restraint, filling her completely with one final thrust. She gasped as he stretched her; she had wanted this for so long, needed to feel him inside her so desperately, she nearly wept with relief. For a moment he stayed still, before she traced her feet up the backs of his long legs, using the leverage to lift her hips up and encourage him to continue.
He pulled back tentatively before rocking his hips back into her, his movements measured and cautious, eyes searching hers for any sign of discomfort. She wanted to tell him just how amazing she felt, but words were suddenly too much of a burden for her mind to process. Instead, she settled with nodding eagerly, thrilled when he began to move in earnest, bracing himself on the headboard with one hand to keep from pushing the two of them into it in his enthusiasm.
As he drove into her, Sigyn allowed her hands to roam over Loki's body, down his neck and back, across his backside and his thighs, reveling at the feel of the taut muscles beneath smooth skin. His lithe form was slick with sweat, and before she could stop herself, she lifted her head to kiss the edge of his jaw, the salt on his skin deliciously sharp on her tongue.
He sucked a breath in sharply through his nose, his rhythm remaining controlled, yet becoming more and more urgent. She guessed he was trying to put off his completion, but she needed him to let go and take his pleasure from her. She wanted nothing more than to watch him as he dropped all of his damnable self-control. "Loki...please," she said, her hand on his cheek. "Don't hold back."
That simple request was all it took. His hips stuttered as he released into her, her name on his lips, all of his desire and longing poured into it, and Sigyn thought she had never heard a more beautiful sound in her life. She watched his face relax, his mouth slack and his eyes completely unfocused, before he collapsed onto her, his head on her breast.
She ran her fingers through his hair as he clutched her, and she could feel his heart pounding through his chest. They lay like that for several moments, saying nothing, their breathing eventually returning to normal. Finally, he raised his head to her, his skin still flushed from exertion.
"That was wonderful...but we're not nearly finished yet."