"Things are not always, things are not always, how they seem…they don't turn out always, don't quite turn out always, how we think. Will we be ready?" - Imogen Heap, 2-1

He's not coming.

Not until the six of them were assembled in the courtyard did Loki begin to lose hope his father would get word of their plans in time to stop them from leaving. Every moment that passed was a moment they were closer to actually reaching the Observatory and making it all the way to Jotunheim.

Loki's diplomacy skills were unparalleled, but he had serious doubts about how effective he would be in dealing with the jotuns this time around. He'd had a simpler time of it disguised as a dark elf, but that had been with lower-ranking jotuns, not the king himself. Loki wasn't sure Laufey would be nearly as open to negotiations while dealing with a prince of Asgard - especially one who was acting on behalf of his warmongering brother.

As the rest of his group packed up their weapons, Loki strode over to the closest Royal Guard as nonchalantly as he could manage.

"I need you to listen to me carefully, do you understand?" He kept a smile on his face, hoping that if Thor happened to glance over he wouldn't get suspicious.

Satisfied he had the guard's attention, Loki continued. "The moment our horses are moving faster than a walk, you are to go straight to the Allfather and tell him we have left for Jotunheim."

The sentinel looked at him with wide eyes, the click in his throat as he swallowed the only sign of any apprehension in his otherwise placid features.

Loki's grin expanded ever so slightly, and the guard recoiled the tiniest bit. "The very life of your future king depends on your quick action. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness," said the guard, nodding curtly.

"Excellent."

Loki turned on his heels and rejoined his friends, swinging up onto his horse just as the others were settling into their own saddles. Thor smiled over at him, his excitement at the prospect of battle and bloodshed etched all over his face. Loki just smiled back, trying his best to conceal his irritation and frustration at the continued delay of his plans.

"Come, my friends," said Thor, turning to the group. "Let us show these jotun monsters what a grievous mistake they have made. Let them know the strength of Asgard has not dimmed - that with their actions, they have called down the wrath of the finest warriors in the Nine Realms!" He turned his horse, not even waiting for an answer before spurring his steed down the Bifröst.

When they reached the Observatory, Heimdall was waiting for them on the bridge itself, already aware of where they wished to go and why. Tasked with protecting the borders of Asgard, the guard was more than a little rattled by the breach in security; he allowed them to pass almost without question.

They took their places in the front of the room, heeding Heimdall's warning that they would be left to die on Jotunheim if their return threatened the safety of Asgard.

"I have no plans to die today," said Thor, his confidence never wavering.

"None do," replied Heimdall, his resonant voice echoing through the chamber as he activated the structure.

The white branches of Yggdrasil lit up the room, brighter than the lightning from Mjölnir, and Loki could feel the pull from his center as he was thrust forward, hurtling through the void toward the wastes of Jotunheim.

Sigyn sat in one of the window seats in Loki's chambers, looking out at the Bifröst and beyond to the Observatory in the distance. With a heavy heart, she watched as the structure lit up, signaling Loki's departure. She remained in the window for some time, hoping to see a sign of his return, before retreating back into the room, once again pacing back and forth so persistently she was sure she was wearing a path into the floor.

She was sick with worry, her anxiety verging on outright panic. She had to get some fresh air.

Opening the door to the chambers, she was stopped by the guards at the door before she even crossed the threshold.

"Apologies, my lady," said the guard on the right. "His Highness insisted that you remain here until his return."

"Please, I'll go mad if I stay in here a moment longer."

"I'm sorry, but His Highness was quite clear about what would happen if we failed to keep you safe."

The look on the poor man's face told Sigyn everything she needed to know about how unpleasant Loki's threats must have been. She decided to try a different approach.

"I haven't seen my mother since before the attack...I need to make sure she's safe. You can accompany me yourself if you're worried."

The guard just shook his head and refused to move. Sigyn knew she was defeated; the guards were much too large for her to push around them, and they evidently didn't care if she was happy with the situation as long as they continued to obey Loki's orders.

She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing deeply to keep her composure. "Well then, is there any way you can send someone to bring me word of her? Just to ease my mind?"

"Of course, my lady."

Sigyn told the guard where her mother lived, hoping Dagmar had chosen to return home after the ruined coronation. If not, there were any number of places she could be, and Sigyn wasn't about to test the guard's patience by listing them all.

The guard agreed to do what he could before turning to his companion. Just before the door latched shut, Sigyn could hear him reminding the other man that under no circumstances was she to leave the room.

She walked to the sofa in front of the fire and curled up on it, confused by the mixed signals Loki was sending. In recent days he had been so detached; to the point that she had been sure he was trying to distance himself from her. And yet, he had surprised her by planning time away for the two of them together.

Furthermore, he could have dismissed the guards Edmund had placed at the door, yet he had tasked them with her safety alone...with the additional threat of punishment if they failed. Those were not the actions of someone who felt merely indifferent toward her.

She had sworn to herself that she would never pressure him into making his intentions for their future clear, but it could no longer be avoided. Nearly losing Edmund had been a sobering reminder that death could take any of them, prince or not. When Loki came back - and she refused to think he wouldn't - she would just have to ask him where she stood with him.

And if his answer was not what she wanted to hear? As much as it would break her heart, it was better to know for certain and move on with her life than to waste another day wishing for something she would never have.

While the many centuries of traversing the realms via the Bifröst had certainly improved Loki's tolerance for the journey, the landings were still physically jarring. He'd needed to become quite skilled at hiding any discomfort. Proving himself strong and capable was a struggle he had long ago grown weary of fighting; he wasn't about to give his brother or his friends any reason to think him weak.

They had landed directly on the outskirts of what remained of the power center of Jotunheim; the impact from their arrival would have been impossible to miss. It also didn't help that Thor's red cape flared around him like a beacon to any jotuns who may be waiting to ambush them. With nothing but snow and ice stretching out around them, they were terribly exposed.

"We shouldn't be here," said Hogun, and Loki couldn't have agreed more. What was taking his father so long? Surely that guard had delivered his message by now.

Their group made their way toward what appeared to be the ruins of a citadel, the creaking and crashing of falling ice only adding to the tension. Loki kept his eyes moving, constantly scanning for any kind of movement, but there was nothing.

"Where are they?" asked Sif, unease clear in her voice.

"Hiding," said Thor. "These cowards always do."

A few more steps and a new voice rang out.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardians."

While helping plan the attack on Asgard, Loki had never dealt with their king directly, but there was no mistaking this particular giant for anyone other than Laufey. He sat upon what remained of his throne, looking down on all of them with scorn - and if Loki were to be entirely honest - more than a little sadness. These were a broken people, robbed of their power. That had made using them for his own purposes easy, but even Loki could admit their failure to retrieve the Casket would likely have pushed their desperation to dangerous levels. Caution was essential; one misstep and they would all be dead before Odin could even reach the Observatory.

"I am Thor Odinson-"

"We know who you are."

"How did your people get into Asgard?"

The silence stretched out before them, and for a moment Loki thought Laufey wasn't going to answer. When he finally spoke, his words sent a stab of panic through Loki's heart.

"The house of Odin...is full of traitors."

He can't possibly know. I was so careful... Every move he had made over the past months ran through Loki's head in an unbroken stream, but he tried his best to look unbothered.

"Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!" yelled Thor. He raised Mjölnir slightly higher, his thirst for revenge getting the better of him.

From there, the discussion between the two of them began devolving into threats and insults. Frost giants began to appear all around them, encircling their group and blocking any way out. Loki had had enough.

He rushed to Thor's side, leaning in so he could speak to him under his breath. "Thor, stop and think. Look around you, we're outnumbered-"

"Know your place, brother."

Any other time, such a dismissal on Thor's part would have angered him, but at that moment all Loki could think about was getting them out of a situation that was fast becoming untenable.

"You know not what your actions would unleash," said Laufey. "I do. Go now...while I still allow it." As he spoke, another giant stepped forward, this one larger than most of the others, and glared down at them.

This time, Loki didn't even wait for Thor to get in another word, speaking up himself instead. "We will accept your most gracious offer." In the corner of his vision, he could see Thor's incredulous look, but he forced himself not to meet his brother's eyes. They could have words later, once they were safe. He turned away, walking slowly back toward the others. "Come on, brother."

Thor paused for a moment, practically growling with frustration before turning to follow Loki. The Warriors Three and Sif started to turn back as well, visibly relieved.

It truly looked as though they were going to be allowed to leave unharmed, when the giant behind Thor spoke up. "Run back home, little princess."

Loki froze. "Damn."

He barely had time to turn and react before Thor beat him to it, swinging Mjölnir up and hitting the giant square in the face. He hurtled back against the far wall, crumpling to the ground.

"Next?"

With that, everything exploded into chaos, giants rushing toward them from every direction. Loki could barely keep track of everyone in the disorder, occupied as he was with keeping himself safe. Once, he heard Volstagg cry out - Don't let them touch you! - and Loki was able to catch him in the crowd just long enough to see the warrior grasping his arm in pain, the skin turning black from the jotuns' icy touch. If they didn't escape soon, a little frostbite would be the least of their problems.

Loki continued to summon knives as quickly as he could, throwing them with astonishing precision and felling one giant after another. It had been so long since he had fought anything other than decoys or his brother; he was surprised at how much he had missed it.

He was continuously looking for a way out when he saw a particularly large giant approaching Thor - who was too busy grappling with three other jotuns to even notice the fourth. Loki was too close to throw his knives with any sort of accuracy, so instead he conjured them into his hands and rushed the jotun, the give of the giant's flesh beneath his knife providing a heady rush.

He had hoped to be able to stumble back and out of the jotun's reach once the knife found its mark, but the ice under his feet was just slippery enough to prevent him from doing so. As a result, the giant's hand lashed out as he fell to his knees, grabbing Loki's forearm in his throes of pain.

No amount of struggling on Loki's part could wrench his arm from the jotun's grip, and he could only watch helplessly as the protection of his glove and armor broke away, the freezing touch of the giant enough to shatter the leather and metal. It happened quickly, his face already forming a grimace, momentarily forgetting his other knife as he waited for the pain to start.

But the pain never came. What happened was so much worse.

He could feel something radiating outward from inside his arm, and even in his shock Loki recognized the loosening of a spell - but that can't be right, there IS no spell, what is he DOING TO ME - and when he looked down again, he stiffened in shock.

His arm was blue - as blue as the Asgardian sky, as blue as Sigyn's eyes, and as blue as the giant who still gripped him tightly, watching with a strange sort of fascination as Loki's arm became an exact mirror of his own. The jotun raised his eyes to Loki's, and Loki could see the realization dawning on him that this was no trick, that this tiny Asgardian was just as surprised as he was at this turn of events, and in that moment Loki wanted nothing more than to erase him from existence.

The knife in his free hand was a solid comfort, and as he thrust it forward and into the monster's chest, the satisfaction he felt was nearly overwhelming. It was short-lived however, as he lifted his freed arm up for inspection and watched as the color and markings faded and his arm reverted to its typical appearance - the sensation of a spell being put into place as it did so at once intimately familiar and utterly foreign.

A cry of pain jolted him back to the situation around him, and he spun around to find Fandral's chest impaled upon a sharp spear of ice jutting up from the ground. Another jotun was running toward the wounded man, intending to finish him off in his trapped state, but Loki was able to fire off a well-placed knife, killing the giant before he got too close. Volstagg and Hogun rushed to Fandral's side, prying him off the ice. Any lower, and he would have been dead on the spot, thought Loki. This farce has gone on long enough.

"We must go!" he yelled, hoping to catch Thor's attention.

His brother acknowledged his words - Then go! - but made no move to retreat from the fight, Mjolnir flying through the air, knocking one jotun after another down in its path before being called back to Thor's waiting hand.

Loki made a mental note that if they survived - and he was getting nearer and nearer to panic that they wouldn't - he was going to kill Thor himself for so stupidly risking all of their lives.

No sooner had the notion crossed his mind than the ground shook, and he had to fight to stay upright. He watched in horror as the ice beneath his feet began to crack, and what he had previously mistaken for merely a statue of a hideous beast shook off the thick layer of ice covering its body. It was immense, with a mouth full of sharp teeth and crimson eyes shining bright and wild from its face.

Instinct took over, his need for survival above all else pushing him to move move MOVE, and he was running flat out back the way they had come, the Warriors Three and Sif by his side - and Thor behind, still doggedly fighting every jotun within sight.

"Thor!" he yelled once more over his shoulder, and any answer his brother may have given was drowned out by the roar of the beast as it clawed its way free of the last of the ice pinning it in place.

Putting his head down and spurring his feet to move faster, Loki pushed himself as hard as he could, the crunch of the beast as it closed the distance ringing in his ears.

Sigyn was expecting the guard to take a while to find word of her mother, and so she was surprised when a knock came on the door not even twenty minutes after he had left. She jumped from her seat, hurrying back across the room.

She had barely opened the door when her mother burst through, nearly suffocating Sigyn in a strong embrace.

"Sigyn! I was so worried about you!"

Sigyn looked over her mother's shoulder at the returned guard, who looked completely nonplussed. "How did you find her so quickly?"

"She was actually wandering the halls looking for you-"

"And he was absolutely no help!" said Dagmar, shooting the guard a hateful look before turning back to Sigyn. "He insisted you were fine, but I wouldn't rest until I saw for myself. I had to find Edmund to vouch for me before this one would bring me to you."

"And as you can see, he was telling the truth," she said, nodding her thanks to the guard before ushering her mother into the room. "Why don't you come in and keep me company for a while."

"That would be lovely, dear." Dagmar took in the room, not even trying to hide her awe of the surroundings. "So, this is where you spend so much of your time," she said, looking directly at the bed as she spoke.

"Well, yes," said Sigyn, rolling her eyes while her mother wasn't looking. "Among other places."

"Oh, of course," said Dagmar, and by the tone of her voice Sigyn knew her answer had been interpreted to mean that she and Loki spent the entirety of their time finding new and unusual places to defile one another. She started to clarify, before deciding the embarrassment wasn't worth the effort. Let her mother think whatever she wanted.

"And where is His Highness?" asked Dagmar, as they settled on the sofa. "I would have thought to find him here with you."

Loki hadn't explicitly told her to keep his whereabouts secret, but Sigyn instinctively knew her mother was the last person who needed to know of his trip to Jotunheim with Thor and the others. She chose to remain as vague as possible.

"He's with his brother, looking into some information about the attack today."

"Oh, I do hope they are able to find those responsible. That was an awful business with those guards," said Dagmar, even as her gaze continued to sweep through the room. "To think it could have been Edmund."

"I'm sure their families are devastated," said Sigyn. She had seen Mabil's sorrow firsthand, but she also wondered about the second guard in the vault. Had he been married? Did he have children to mourn him the way she mourned her own father? When this was all over, she would make it a point to find out and reach out to them, to offer her condolences. Not only did she feel it necessary, but it would have the added benefit of proving to Loki that she had the proper skills for diplomacy - and if it came to it, the poise required to represent Asgard as a member of the royal family.

She felt her mother's hand on her cheek, pulling her from her thoughts. "Are you feeling well, darling? You look ill."

It took every ounce of Sigyn's self-control to not scream at her mother - My brother was nearly killed today, and now the man I wish to spend my life with has travelled to the least friendly of the Nine Realms to face almost certain death. What could possibly be wrong with me? - but she held her tongue. As cynical as she could be toward her mother's intentions, even Sigyn had to admit she looked genuinely concerned.

"I - I'll be fine, Mother. It's just...it's been a trying day for everyone." Her stomach clenched as she spoke; she couldn't remember when she had last eaten something. As worried as she was, she wasn't sure she would be able to keep anything down, but it couldn't hurt to try. "Some food would probably help, but the guards won't let me leave this room."

"Why not?"

"Loki's orders. I've already tried to leave once, but they won't budge. Not until he returns."

"Well, keeping you safe won't do much good if you starve to death," said Dagmar, rising from the sofa. "I'll go find Ingrid and have her bring you something to eat."

"Thank you, Mother," said Sigyn. Even if her mother had no authority in the palace, Sigyn had no doubts that Dagmar would be able to coerce something out of the kitchen staff if she needed to; she was nothing if not tenacious.

"Of course, darling," said Dagmar, turning back to look at Sigyn once more, her eyes full of an emotion Sigyn couldn't quite place. "I only want what's best for you, you know."

"I know, Mother." It was a strange thing to say, out of place in the events of the day, and her tone was such that Sigyn was momentarily left puzzled. But before she could say another word, her mother had already opened the door and was gone.

Loki focused on putting one foot in front of the other, blocking out all distractions as he and the others ran back to their landing spot, trying desperately to avoid being caught by the pursuing beast. He just hoped that the multiple targets would keep the creature confused just enough for all of them to escape.

He glanced over his shoulder just once, in time to see the sky light up with a flare of lightning. That could only be Thor's doing, and Loki had a momentary flash of relief before the ground began to shake beneath his feet once again.

A wave of ice and snow began to radiate out from where they had left Thor, cracks in the ground spreading out like a web. The five of them were just light enough that they could continue to keep their feet, but the beast behind them was much too heavy. A massive hole began to open up between it and their group and it began to slip through. It swung its barbed tail around, trying to grasp for purchase in the ice and barely missing Sif in the process, before it fell through completely.

None of them even slowed down, continuing to run as fast as they could. Loki could hear Fandral chuckling at the beast's demise as he was carried over Volstagg's back. We're not safe yet, you idiot, thought Loki. Save your mirth for when we're back in Asgard.

Finally, they reached the spot where the Bifröst had opened up, right on the edge of a massive cliff. "Heimdall, open the bridge!" yelled Volstagg, yet nothing happened. Loki knew they were in the right place, thinking perhaps Heimdall was waiting for Thor to rejoin them, when a giant hand came up from the edge of the cliff and buried its claws in the ground directly in front of them.

Somehow the beast had managed to not only survive its fall, but arrive ahead of them at the landing spot. It hoisted its mass up and over the cliff, and for the first time Loki felt truly afraid. There was no way to escape; the way behind them was blocked by pursuing jotuns and the beast in front of them was much too large for them to take on, especially with Fandral so critically injured.

One last thought went through Loki's mind - Sigyn, I love you, I'm so sorry - and the beast opened its maw wide in a thunderous roar.

A blur flashed overhead, and just before it could snatch one of them up in its jaws it instead collapsed to the ground. Loki could see the massive hole in its head, and as it slipped completely over the edge, Thor came down, landing hard between their group and the edge of the cliff.

He stood up and turned to the group, looking entirely too pleased with himself for the mess they were in. His grin faded quickly however, when he realized they were not yet out of danger.

Hundreds of jotuns - led by Laufey himself - had caught up to them despite the destruction left in Thor's wake. This was their home, their element, and no matter how hard the Asgardians fought, Loki knew they were at a severe disadvantage.

As one, they advanced on their group, and Loki steeled himself, hoping that if he had to die he would at least have the strength to take a few more jotuns with him. But before they could get close enough, the sky split open, the Bifröst opening at last.

Instead of pulling them up and back to Asgard, however, the bridge was delivering their salvation. Odin landed where the beast had been mere moments before, his steed Sleipnir rearing up into the air and Gungnir flashing in the light. He looked every bit the majestic ruler of the Nine Realms he still was, and the jotuns stopped in their tracks at the sight of him.

"Father! We'll finish them together!" yelled Thor, the certainty of victory clear in his voice.

"Silence."

A single word from Odin, hissed through his teeth and colder than the wastes of Jotunheim itself, and even though it was directed at Thor, Loki felt like a small child once again.

Whatever was coming next, Loki couldn't help but wonder if death would have been easier after all.