HELLOOOOO READERS! OH readers once again I have to thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I appreciate each one of your favorites, follows and reviews. You guys rock my socks off. I was so thrilled to have this story reach over 100 reviews! It was such a major accomplishment for me and it was thanks to you! GO YOU! I want to give a special shout out to a New Reader Mishil! I really appreciated each detailed review that was given and I will respond to them. Well here is the next Chapter
Warning! This chapter will contain mild spoilers from Thor 2, nothing major prob stuff that the trailers give away, but if you haven't seen Thor 2 you've been warned. Thanks once again happy reads and reviews and May God Bless you. OH! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Jesus is the Reason for the season!
Odin's calloused hands cupped Loki's cold, thin face. The king's wrinkled thumb rubbed circles against the pronounced frozen cheek bones of the Frost Giant as if he was trying to warm them up. Loki cackled, as he felt the all-father's rough fingers rubbing him vigorously as if trying to thaw him out. He pulled away from Odin. He didn't want to feel his touch. His touch was a hollow lie. He twisted and bucked and squirmed like a stubborn, wily boar caught in a net. He was sure he was growling, foaming, swearing, but the ruler's hands did not relinquish his son's face. But for all his mental determination not to give in to the affection that seemed to come fart to late, physically he found himself leaning in deeper to the king's touch. His jagged, icy skin pressing into the folds and creases of Odin's palms. He heard Odin such in a sharp breath, even the all-father was not immune to the burn of a Frost Giant's flesh against his Aesir skin, but Odin didn't falter, he didn't let go, his wrinkled fingers maintained contact with Loki's trembling cheeks and he pulled Loki's face down so that Loki's ears were near his white whisker covered lips.
He heard Odin's words whispered in urgent earnest, "Remember who you are...and come home" Loki mashed his icy lips together doing all he could to fight against actually responding to the great kings words. He quivered with fury, panic and sorrow. He bit his silver tongue, refusing to give in to the weakness that was sentiment and the childish longings and affections he once bore toward Odin. Odin held him for a long time, not saying anything else just letting the gravity of the sentence just spoken sink into the Jotun's mind and heart. The Frost Giant gritted his teeth tightly so much so that he felt he would break the hard bones, but it was all he could do to keep himself from melting into a sob and falling into Odin's chest. He held his rigid position and finally he felt the great king's white whiskers brush against his pointed nose, instantly he felt Odin's lips pressed tenderly against his frigid forehead. The kiss was faint, merely a peck, but he might as well have been smothered in smooches for the sensation that it allowed to resonate inside him. The feeling of being loved by a father was overwhelming and wonderful he'd felt abandoned for so long, since he'd found out about his true heritage. Some how he'd reverted back to a juvenile state. He'd felt like no more than that infant left on a frozen rock, crying and pleading, screaming and wailing, doing anything he could to get seen, heard, recognized and loved.
Loki felt steamy tears stream down his face. He braced himself for the pain expecting to feel something that felt like boiling tar running down his cheeks and jaw line. The Jotun's considered crying weakness because their tears physically caused them pain, they were like hot lava searing over ice so the people of Jotunheim became as cold as their skin as a defense mechanism against what feelings cost them, but as the tears flowed Loki's realized that he didn't feel the excruciating burn that he'd become accustomed to since he'd been forced into this horrible form. Loki gasped as the liquid seemed to wash the frostbite from his skin, he could feel his skin changing, becoming, soft and smooth, like the flesh of an Aesir. He rubbed his chilly palms together feeling beautiful skin against skin, he raked his nails across his arms and noticed that it didn't sound sharp like flint grating against a stone, his skin did not feel like the rugged edges of high cliffs. Overwhelmed Loki slid from his bed and on to his knees.
Loki patted himself down from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet astonished to find once again he had been clothed in porcelain, smooth, flawless Aesir flesh. He started to speak. He didn't even know what he wanted to say. It was one of the few times in his life where he found his silver tongue, hapless and at a lost for words. He could feel Odin's slate-colored eye looking at him. It wasn't an incriminating stare, nor was a disgusted glare, it was just a hopeful glance. Loki could practically feel the king's hopefulness, uncharacteristically he heard Odin's hands rustling with his golden robes. He heard the old ruler sigh, somewhat patiently, but Loki kept his blinded eyes trained on his smooth hands. Not that he could see them. Maybe he'd kept the monarch waiting too long, Odin was much like his own spoiled boy, they hated to be kept waiting. The leader of Asgard patted his foot and blew out an exasperated breath loudly through his nostrils and lips. Loki felt Odin's weathered hands come and tap him on the crown of his ebony head. A simple tut-tut, the kind of pat that a timid child may give a big dog that they weren't quite sure would bite or the type of resistant rub that a person not overly fond of cats gives to a stray kitten that is somehow pulling at their heart-strings. Much like the dejected kitten left alone in the alleyways, Loki found himself leaning into the gentle caress. He was touchable. He wasn't a frozen beast that no one could touch for fear of being turned to an ice-sculpture...he was touchable. "When you're ready, Loki," the great king stated softly as his rough and rugged hands lifted from the tangled and kinked mess of raven locks as he turned on his heels. He started to call out to Odin as he heard the king's off beat foot falls make their way over the icy floor of his gilded cage. He heard Gungnir pound gently along side Asgard's ruler as he walked. "Father," Loki whispered as blinded eyes finally darted up and tried to focus on the direction Odin was heading in. Inadvertently, his hand groped feeling in darkness thinking he would catch the hem of the mighty king's illustrious robe of gold and purple. But his nearly silent murmur went unnoticed by the majesty of the gilded realm as the golden shield door fizzled and closed.
Loki's fleshed tingled intensely for a few seconds. It wasn't the burning sensation that had seemed to consume his every waking moment since his powers had been torn from him so mercilessly during the extraction. No, rather, for the first time in what seemed like a very long time the sensation felt pleasant. It felt like after a brisk ride through winter woods returning to the lodge and tossing soggy damp cloak and scarf and gloves aside and walking over to a toasty fire and warming oneself there. It felt like having a warm cup of tea soothe an achy throat or steaming bowl of quail and barely stew filling an upset, but empty belly. It felt like shivering for so long only to have someone come a drape a thick fur pelt over your freezing body.
Loki closed his eyes, exhaled and relaxed allowing he tumbling mind to take in and process the wonderful touch that washed over his frozen body. He imagined this is what the realm felt like on the first day of spring after a long, cold winter. Now a bright, shining sun slowly peaked through the dreary snow clouds. Its first golden rays kissing snow-covered ground. The enchanted snow was powerless against the awesome sun it had no choice but to concede victory and slink away. The snow melted away from the fields and plains and tiny buds of newness poked their way up through the blanket of white. The ice that sat on the surface the lakes melted into them, causing them to swell, the icicles that hung on the edges of the houses and barns dripped and dripped until they were nothing but puddles, shadows of their former selves.
His body felt that way; felt like the Asgard coming alive again; he thought of all the songs and poems he'd heard and read that tried to explain the phenomenon of springtime after the winter frost, but they had failed to do it justice as he was now engulfed by the sensation. His own being was budding and rejuvenating, warming and eager to show forth with beauty and vitality. He felt like the lark returning after migration, he wanted to sing. At first he could not completely process it. The only thing he could truly compare it to was being a youth and first noticing the beauty of the opposite sex. Yes it made him jittery, but the feeling wasn't all together intolerable, it was actually quite rousing and enjoyable. Loki twisted. How was this feeling coming about? Surely it had come for forbidden places, places long since forgotten, places he'd given up on since his fall into the unforgiving abyss. It was a place somewhere deep within the catacombs of his soul, a place where an ember of light still flickered and he felt it starting to glow. It started off tiny, just a pin prick in the ice, but it was growing. Without control, liquid started to poured from Loki's blinded eyes like water from a faucet. He curled himself up into a ball and rocked back and forth on his knees and wept aloud.
Eventually, he wept himself into exhaustion, finding himself sprawled out on the cold, white tile floor of his well furnished cell. He pulled himself into an upright sitting position and rubbed at eyes that were a faded mossy green shade due to the blindness. He yawned lazily as he hoisted himself onto his feet. His legs felt like rubber since he'd been hunched over leaning on his knees. He tottered as he came to his feet, wobbling from side to side as pale fingers groped blindly in an illuminated room trying to find his bed. His now sensitive alabaster fingertips brushed clumsily against the bronze bed post as he laid himself down on the bed.
The smooth surface of the cool plush pillow case brushed against his damp thin cheeks and lulled him to sleep. As he rested his head upon the pillow he heard the familiar words from his favorite story echoing in his mind. "Remember who you are and come home," he heard young Gert call frantically to his friend as he watched the moon rise high into the sky as the Snow Queen hovered over Kai ready to assume all control over his mind and memories. "Who are you?" Loki reminisced his childish voice energetically reading the book to Odin. Twisting on his bed Loki tried to shut his own young voice out of his head. He slammed sightless eyes shut as he lied, curled up tight underneath the cashmere quilt that Sigyn had made for him. He clutched at the evergreen pillow, pulling it out from underneath his hand and squeezing it against his torso. "I don't know," he replied hollowly in the dark.
It had been some days since she had been to Loki's cell. She was anxious to see him once more. She'd been so worried about him in the days since they'd last spoken. It ended on a somewhat sour note, but she wasn't angry with him. She could never bring herself to feel anger toward him only hurt. But Prince Thor had requested she stay away for some time. She was never one to disobey orders. Besides Queen Frigga had admonished her to heed her eldest son's words being as though Thor's own visit with his brother had been unpleasant and unproductive. Thor had seemed so vexed by their last conversation it seemed doubtful that he would return to the cell for quite a while. She wondered what could have transpired between them. News flew through the palace that Loki had attacked Thor when he last came to visit. One of the healers reported a stabbing wound in Thor's side. The wound hadn't been bad, not even very deep, but its ramification were far greater than the mild scar in left on the blonde prince's flesh.
Though out of her sight for a few days, Loki was far from removed from her heart. She tended to her other duties as Lady-in-Waiting to the queen. Sigyn tried to be dutiful in her work, but she'd always been a bit of flighty girl, her thoughts often roved and wandered. She was thinking of things to do for Loki when she'd go to visit him again.
She'd been working on her chess. She thought for sure that would be a pleasant surprise for him once she visited again. It had been at the queen's suggestion that they'd begun to play. When Loki had been relocated from the horrid dungeon chamber and moved to his new cell in the prison. Frigga and Thor had seen to it that the once prince had been provided with much more lavished settings than any other prisoner, Loki's small cell was reminiscent of his old room within the palace. They'd furnished it with a few of his belongings, nothing elaborate, a chair and a nightstand. Once she found out that Loki was interested in reading again even though he hadn't the eyes to see the words on the pages Frigga sent down some of Loki's favorite books from the library. She also sent down a beautiful chess set made of marble and crystal. Chess had always been one of Loki's favorite past times. For the weeks that Sigyn had tended the recovering prisoner, the chessboard had set idle. She hadn't even known if Loki had known it was in there.
One evening, after the queen had dismissed all her waiting gentlewomen for the evening. She pulled Sigyn to the side asking her of Loki's progress. Sigyn reported that since being moved to a clean chamber and given physical comforts, Loki' strength seemed much improved. The golden-haired queen of the gilded realm gave a small but grateful smile then inquired further as if Loki was enjoying the books she provided and the chess set. The honey-eyed Lady-In-Waiting simply stated that Loki had never mentioned it. Queen Frigga urged her to see if she could encourage Loki to play. She felt a rousing game of chess would surely brighten Loki's spirits while his eyes remained dull and lifeless. Sigyn felt embarrassed she hadn't wanted to inform the royal woman that she knew not the first thing about chess. She'd never taken an interest in the game. It always seemed so hard and mostly so boring. She remembered her father trying to teach her and her sister once or twice, but neither of them caught on. There were so many rules. It seemed ever so complicated. Sigyn much preferred to spend her time practicing ways to flirt and flounce herself, than trying to figure out how to make little figures move over a checkered playing field. She thought that knowing the latest gossip, a dressing herself in the most expensive and stylish of Asgardian fashions would be the way to catch the eye of Asgard's mysterious younger prince, but she'd been wrong:
She remembered well many wonderful and warm spring days when Dagmar had stayed at the palace when the two of the would go off to have their little chess tournaments. She'd so often been envious of the bond they shared. She'd come to call upon Prince Loki she'd find him and Lady Dagmar sitting in one of the salons engrossed in the game. Giving each other mischievous little glances as they'd hop their little figurines around the board. They'd mutter little quips at each other, jokes that only the two of them got and the games would last for hours. Normally Sigyn would leave in defeat when she saw that he was absorbed in this game of wit and strategy, but one particular day she'd decided to stay. Just to see what all the fuss was about between the two of them.
Sigyn watched in a puzzlement as the pieces jumped and moved all around the board from different angles. She didn't understand why he seemed to like the game so much. It was such a quiet game, every time she tried to offer a peep, he'd hush her like she was a child who was speaking out of turn. She supposed she'd acted like one. "Loki I'm bored," Sigyn whined from her slumped over position on the settee by the bookshelf. She'd blow breath out her mouth causing her pouty lips to bounce as she showed her displeasure for the game and mostly for time Loki spent with Dagmar instead of her.
"No one said you need stay, Lady Sigyn," He replied formally his eyes never even giving her the slightest glance. His green pupils darted from the board to Dagmar and they lingered on the latter.
"Ohhh," she mewed, "But it's such a lovely spring day," she continued pushing herself up of the ruby-red velvet settee and sauntering over to him. She reached her and playfully walked her polished fingernails up his spine. She giggled in his ear and leaned her warm bosom into his back, while possessively sliding her arms around his neck and then slipping warm colored hand down the collar of his dark green tunic tickling at his chest. "You said we were going to go riding," the pink lips reminded him as they whispered in his ear.
"Sigyn!" his voice was firmer than what she'd thought it would be and it startled her making her withdraw her teasing fingers from out the inside of his garment. "Are you unable to find anyone or anything else to amuse you?" he asked harshly. He turned to her and gave an annoyed glare. She dropped her eyes and head and folded her hands in front of her like a scolded child who disrupted their parents for playtime while their parents' were working.
"Loki, it's alright," Dagmar interjected softly. "Sigyn is right," she offered pointing to the blonde woman who stood downcast by the prince's side. "It is a splendid day outside," she reminded him. "So warm and pleasant, an excellent day for a ride," she pointed toward the large window that lead to the balcony. "Lady Sigyn has been more than gracious allowing me to keep you cooped up all day," she went on flippantly as she tossed her black tresses about revealing her long swan like neck as she stretched with catlike elegance and let out a demure yawn,as she covered her pomegranate lips as she ended the yawn. "But you need some fresh air," she stated matter-of-factly.
"But...but..." Loki started.
Lady Dagmar extended a porcelain hand shaking it and silencing his silver tongue. "No buts about it" she chided him. "Besides you are overdue with some sun," she continued."Do see to it, that Loki gets some fresh air at least once a week if you could Sigyn, he never remembers such things for himself and as I will be returning to Vanaheim and will not be here to remind him," Dagmar turned to Sigyn and addressed her perkily and exchanged a giggle with the other maiden. "Also after along ride make sure he gets a nice long bath, Loki tends to sweat easily," Dagmar continued to tease, flashing the green-eyed prince a cheeky grin. "Also be sure to see to it that he gets proper rest, he'll protest about it, but he's always so cranky without his nap," Dagmar expressed reaching out her hand and pinching Loki's pale cheek. Loki rolled his jade eyes, he didn't know if he liked being talked about as if he were a small child, but somehow when Dagmar did it, it seemed like less of a tease and more of a genuine concern for his well-being. "Sigyn is only trying to concern herself with your good health, Loki," she returned her attention from the snickering gold eyed noblewoman and to the bright green-eyed prince. "As a healer I cannot interrupt such noble pursuits," the silver eyed enchantress tossed her hands up and pushed away from the small table they'd been playing on.
Sigyn linked arms with Loki happily now that it seemed Dagmar was conceding victory over monopolizing the second prince's precious time. She purred as she snuggled her gold head along the side of his arm. "Yes Loki," she continued purring as she squeezed his arm tighter, "Come ride with me, darling, for your good health," she encouraged.
The master mage ignored his intended's persistence as he turned his attention back the fair silver eyes Vanir woman who slowly and gracefully starting to rise from her seat. "Then are you forfeiting the game, Lady Dagmar, another victory for me then?" He asked sly smirk on his thin lips hoping that Dagmar would rise to the challenge. They'd had an ongoing competition since they were young.
"My dear prince, heavens no," she laughed, leaning on the table her face drawing closer to his, he leaned in nearly pulling his arm from Sigyn's hold as he went to meet Dagmar's face.
"Then the game cannot end," the raven-haired prince insisted his voice proper, but somewhat breathy as his emerald eyes met her silver pupils. Sigyn was alarmed. She began tugging on Loki trying to pull him back so that he was not practically falling onto Dagmar's full ripe looking lips. She continued trying to tug him away from the silver eyed Vanir woman. Indeed she was an enchantress for Loki was practically drooling with want for her. She watched with horror as Dagmar smiled a Loki's compliment and Loki's porcelain cheeks flushed and he snorted, the uncharacteristically uncouth guffaw made him blush deeper, but somehow gave him the boldness to make physical contact with Lady Dagmar even in Sigyn's presence. His finger tips slid across the chessboard touching hers as he moved his king piece to corner her queen, "Check," he whispered green eyes large as he wet his lips with his tongue in expectation.
"I wasn't suggesting that I would forfeit the chess match, Prince Loki," Lady Dagmar qualified as she withdrew her hand from feeling the tantalizing touch of his cool knuckles brush with her flesh. She shook her silky ebony tresses as she swiped a fly away strand of black hair from her silver eyes.
"No," he echoed her sentiments in a sleepy, dreamy manner.
"No, I wasn't" Dagmar confessed finally pulling her gray eyes from staring at his endless emerald pools that were so easy to get lost in. She looked down at the board and noted the way he'd cornered her most valuable piece. Her misty colored lenses darted over and scanned the few remaining pieces of the board. She smiled gently, "No," she breathed, "I was merely suggesting that the game would be ending on its own very soon," she nodded. Her hand slid knight piece forward toward Loki's queen, "Checkmate," she announced with a winning smile.
Loki was startled, but pleasantly so, he loved Dagmar's wit. "But how'd you..." he started to question.
"Ah-ah-ah," she corrected softly, wagging her finger in front of his blinking eyes, "Nevermind how." she instructed watching him cross his arms over his chest giving her a smug grin,"Doesn't matter, what's important is...I won," she exclaimed.
"Only when you come do I have such stimulating company," he admitted, Sigyn knew what he said was a dig at her although she didn't quit know the prince's meaning in its entirety.
"The harder task is thinking of something for you to do now that I've won," Dagmar stated she paced in a small circle tapping her long manicured porcelain finger along her chin as if in deep thought.
"Anything you want," Loki gushed beaming back at her
Dagmar's pomegranate lips formed a bright smile,"go and take Lady Sigyn for a ride," she nearly ordered as she shooed him along.
"I..." Loki shook his head starting to protest.
Dagmar threw up her hands and dropped her head so that the intricate basket weaved design of her tresses was revealed. "That's all I want," she replied demurely.
"Yes Loki," Sigyn echoed with glee, "We must take advantage of the daylight," she encouraged pulling him along and he reluctantly stumbled behind her.
"There's plenty of daylight left, Sigyn," he stated exasperated. "Dagmar," he turned back around while Sigyn put on her riding cloak. "Wouldn't you care to accompany us?" he offered. Sigyn nearly boiled, if that little strumpet dare to say yes she'd...
"Oh no," Dagmar waved off the offer dismissively as she gathered the chess pieces. "Perhaps I shall see if I can find Lady Sif and see if she is up for a round of tennis," Dagmar shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile of satisfaction. "Or maybe your mother and her ladies are still enjoying tea in the gardens and I could join them there," she nodded as she folded up the chessboard.
"But..." the green-eyed prince started to counter.
"No buts," Dagmar looked up and smiled. "I'm sure I can find something or someone else to amuse me," she explained as her eyes met with Sigyn's and she winked a white eyelid over a sparkling eyelid while her angelic face pulled into a soft smile. Sigyn smiled back, but she felt slightly uncomfortable with Dagmar's gesture. Was it a challenge? A taunt? She figured not, one would only challenge someone if they sought to compete. Sigyn may have been in a competition with Lady Dagmar, but Dagmar wasn't in competition with her for Loki's affections because she'd already won.
Sigyn didn't want to disappoint the queen and she desperately wanted to see Loki's condition improve, she asked Loki to teach her the game of chess. She didn't know what made him agree, perhaps it was her pleading tone, perhaps it was his boredom, it was not as if he had much else to do, perhaps it was simply because of the fact that he loved to educate people. Whatever the cause he'd calmly agreed to be her chess tutor and for the first time she thought she actually took an interest in chess.
Loki was a skillful teacher who easily figured out away to accommodate not only his own physical impairment, but also Sigyn's beyond basic needs in learning something new. He carved out numbers and shapes onto the chessboard using his Frost Giant nails. The black nails were so sharp that the sawed right through the brilliant crystal like a tooth sawing through a block of cheese. He placed different shapes and numbers inside each square, having Sigyn help him count the number of squares and telling him what color they were. He'd labeled each square and coded it so that he and Sigyn could figure out if they were moving the pieces in the correct spaces. He studiously felt each piece to see what it was and then explained to her its place, function, and where and how it should move. Loki explained the rules of the game slowly enough, but still Sigyn felt dizzy as she tried to keep the facts about the pieces in her head. She got a headache. It was nearly a week before Loki had been satisfied with her elementary knowledge of the rules and regulations before they actually attempted a game.
At their first attempts to play the game, she'd asked many questions, unsure of where she could move the piece that looked like the horse. She kept mixing up the names of the figurines confusing pawns with bishops. She found that Loki was fairly patient with her, he wasn't annoyed by her constant questioning. Every time he moved a piece around the board he'd check, he'd feel along the square, feeling the code that he'd carved inside to make sure that he'd moved to the right space. For most of the game Loki's precision with moving his pieces to the right spot without being able to see the board had been remarkable. His jumps were dead on and directly correlated to his opponents simple moves, but then he slipped up. A simple mistake he'd slid the castle looking piece to a vulnerable position being that he hadn't correctly remembered where Sigyn had placed her pawn. Honestly, Sigyn hadn't known the difference. Loki could have cheated, moved his man back and it would have made no difference to Sigyn, she was a student who was dependent upon her teacher even though he was sightless.
But instantly, his expression had changed from that of a delighted boy, to a cold, hard expression that matched his Frost Giant form. In frustration he'd expressed how he could no longer play this game that he'd mastered before he'd started formal schooling. "Loki, it's fine," Sigyn attempted to explain noticing how he'd immediately pushed away from the small cedar wood writing desk that they'd been playing on.
"No it's not," he declared slamming an icy fist down on his leg.
"Because of one mistake?" Sigyn questioned. "Loki, that is silly," she stated to him, her pleasant face smiling at him although she knew he was unable to see her, she hoped her tone could help him see the look of tenderness housed on her face. "Loki I have made countless mistakes in this game already and look how patient you have been with me," the handmaiden to the queen tried to reason with the ex-prince. "Now you mess-up one time and you have no patience with yourself..."
"I should not be messing up at all!" he barked belligerently balling up his blue fist tight so that the ice that coated them popped and cracked.
"Everyone makes mistakes," the blonde-haired lady-in-waiting, told the once master mage of the realm.
"I have mastered this game since before I was 200 years old (5) and...and now...now...I can't even..." he muttered opening red eyes that face blue palm hands that he could not see.
"You must give yourself sometime to adjust to your blindness," Sigyn offered quietly.
The daughter of Arn heard Loki's scoff and watched as his azure head shook from side to side. "And that is truly all I am now," He chuckled bitterly, he smacked his frosty lips as he rose to his feet and staggered away from the table.
Lady Sigyn sucked in a sharp breath and covered her hands with her mouth. She'd done it again blundered and botched up her words. "No that's not what I meant," she tried desperately to recover. She could have slapped herself across the forehead. She never said the right things to Loki. She never had even during their relationship. It wasn't that she did it on purpose, she meant to be a comfort, but she was articulate and well versed with words and somehow her words of advice and comfort often came out clumsily and offensive. Loki was sensitive. To be handled with care like a priceless china, but she always took him up in her hands with all thumbs. "I didn't mean," she started to call but her worlds fell short not knowing what more to say.
He gave Lady Sigyn his back as he face the stark, white wall of his chamber. "A Sightless, Powerless," his stoic voice choked on each word as he uttered them, "Helpless Beast," he almost sobbed.
"No!" Sigyn countered his argument.
"Yes I am..." he responded flatly, "I'm an invalid in this cell," he murmured, "I cannot even play that silly game anymore!" Loki pointed an icy blue finger at the chessboard displayed in the writing desk as he raged.
"You are not helpless," Sigyn stated finally pushing herself from her seat and bridging the gap between them. She was right behind him. She could feel the freeze of his body chilling her own, still she longed to wrap her arms tight around him even if that meant that she turned to an ice-sculpture. She wasn't bold enough to truly act as she wanted, but she managed to bring her trembling bronzed hand to touch the tattered garment on his back.
He sneered and hissed feeling the warmth from her Aesir flesh, immediately he flinched pulling his shoulder away from her touch. " of course I am that is why they send me you," he chuckled with out any mirth in his tone. "To babysit me." icy tone that was low and grave. "To keep me alive to live in the torturous existence,"
Hearing him say such things made her shiver, "Loki no," she shook her head. "please I...I..." the golden eyed Aesir woman told the Jotun.
"You are like a nurse a busy mother sends into tend to a child when she does not wish to see him. A pacifier that they hope will lull me into a stupor," Loki's raven locks shook vigorously back and forth as he started his cold cackle once more. "Did they send you here to pacify me?" He demanded his voice quivering with anger he cracked his knuckles and the ice lined floors cracked along with it. "Did they think that you could appease me, think that you," he tossed his head back in her direction, "would somehow keep me from my path of destruction?"
"Loki, please, it is merely a game?" Sigyn voice was small she looked down at the ground and shrugged.
"One more thing that I once enjoyed that has been ripped from my grasp," He muttered as he squeezed his blue hands into icy fist. "One more thing that ODIN HAS TAKEN FROM ME!" he raged vehemently. He flipped over the writing desk and the marble and crystal chess pieces scattered across the stark white cell. They made loud clattering sounds that made Sigyn jump as they hit against frozen floor. Sigyn turned her pretty bronzed face away from facing the fallen chess figurines and looked to Loki. His cold Jotun shoulders heaving as his breathing came out haggard and formed clouds in the could room. He turned on her, bringing his sharp ice cut features to face her, his unseeing crimson eyes seeming as though they had the intent to freeze her. The amber eyed attendant to the queen let out a tiny squeak and dropped her gaze from Loki and went quickly to scuttling on the ground hurrying to try to pick up the pieces and turn back over the furniture. She heard Loki stomp back over to his bed and lower his blue body on to the creaking mattress.
Sigyn worked as quickly as she could trying to pick up the chess pieces she gathered them in her hands placed them in her skirt, trying not to look at Loki. "Take the chess set and get out," He ordered his voice quivering on the verges of having another terrible outburst. Sigyn imagined that he was trying not to release all his ire on her.
Lady Sigyn continued to assemble pieces, "Perhaps we can play again, tomorrow," she suggested quietly.
"Are you dense!" Frost Giant fumed from his bed, she could hear his black ice claws digging into the metal of the bedpost with aggitation."I cannot play,"He barked. "Take it and be gone and don't bring it back here!"
"I'm sorry," Sigyn apologized. "I didn't mean for it to upset you so," she continued. "I'd hoped...I'd only wanted it to be enjoyable for you, I'm sorry, tis my fault," she went on shaking her head. By that point the golden-haired daughter of Lord Arn had gathered all the pieces and had placed the writing desk so that it was once again a functional piece of furniture. She placed the chess set on to of the writing desk cautiously, but did not bother to arrange the pieces in any particular order."I...have never known you as one who gives up easily, I hope you don't give up on chess," Sigyn started to explain, "I was enjoying having you teach me no one has ever had the patience to teach me anything this complicated before," she expressed before giving an habitual curtsy and taking her leave of the cell.
Some hours later Lady Sigyn returned to check on Loki. She normally didn't visit twice a day, but he
hadn't had his daily dosage of the tonic and even though she'd left the bottle on the table, she wondered if Loki had thought to take it or was he left writhing in pain trying to fight against the withdrawal. She was surprised to come back and find Loki playing chess against himself. He moved back and forth between two seats, studiously maneuvering the pieces across the board. She watched as he deftly felt along each block of the chessboard. She'd watch as he'd smile and give small fist pumps at his side as he placed each chess piece properly throughout the game. He kept going. Sigyn must have watched him busy himself with playing the several matches against himself for at least two hours. With each match the rounds got faster and he ended the each game quicker than the first. Sigyn's heart swelled and tears slowly trickled down her eyes. She'd had words that encouraged him, inspired him, pushed him. He'd cared about what she said.
She'd been excited to go back and have another round with the next day, but that next day never came being as that was the day she'd encountered Prince Thor in the dungeons and he'd requested that she'd not see Loki. Still, she'd been practicing. She'd practiced with any and all who would help her. If Loki was dedicated and honing his skills in darkness than she wanted to offer him a "stimulating game." That was what he had said of Lady Dagmar that she was stimulating Sigyn longed to be stimulating for him to, to stimulate every fiber of his being, his body, mind and spirit. She'd taken some time during her days away from tending the once prince of the realm to practice with some of the other women of the palace household. She still wasn't very good. She was no good at all still. Even her teenage servant girl could best her quickly in a match, but nonetheless she had improved. She at least had memorized all the names of the chessboard pieces and she was at least able to remember their placements in the original set up of the board. She couldn't wait to visit with Loki again and show him her progress.
Sigyn planned to visit Loki the next morning. It had been about a week and she figured that was enough time for her to meet Prince Thor's requirement of her not visiting him for some time. She couldn't contain the girlish giggles that bubbled up in her throat as she thought about encountering him once again. She wanted it to be special. She'd gone to the library and with special care she'd picked out some scrolls that she'd thought Loki may have been interested in reading, she tried to read over them several times so that she wouldn't stumble over the words as much when she actually read to Loki. Not that he'd necessarily complained. He was actually fairly patient and usually assisted her through her feeble attempts at proper pronunciation he could seemingly guess what she'd been trying to say. Still she felt as though her reading slip us must have been tedious for the once prince. Despite that when she'd stutter and botch up the bigger words in the book he'd sit close and listen attentively as if she was one of the great storytellers that traveled throughout Asgard entertaining the young and old with their mystical word weaving. Loki would mumble along with her, she realized the amount of knowledge he knew was far greater than she had imagined. He had seemingly memorized every book she brought to read him.
There was one scroll that she'd read over more times than was probably necessary. She'd been debating on whether or not to bring it to Loki. It was a scandalous read. Passionate and honest, raw and dripping with emotion, raw and tender, heartfelt. It made her skin tingle and her mouth salivate and it tore her heart in two. It was the letter written from Lady Dagmar to Loki. It had haunted and taunted her from the moment she read it. She wished she'd never had. She felt dirty reading it. That letter was none of her concern. It was personal. She needed to do something with it. For too long it set idly in her room. Nervously, she'd moved it about to different places in her room. She'd put it in her cape pocket and then put the cape in her large walk in closet. She'd moved it from the pocket and then placed it in a compartment in the back of one of her drawers. She'd taken the clasp to one of the queen's jewelers and had it fixed. The jeweler did an exquisite job, carefully replacing each precious, sparkling gem back in its proper place along the face of shiny silver clasp. She was so grateful for the job that the jewelry maker did that she full on kissed the man on the lips before running away merrily back to her room. After she'd come from the jeweler's shop she still hadn't the foggiest idea of what to do with the scroll. She should have just returned in, but instead she'd shoved the parchment scroll made of fine featherweight stationary in a chest and placed it under her bed. It couldn't stay there any longer; she felt it would burn a hole through the chest, singe the ermine carper and melt through the golden-tile from of her room if she did not do something with the letter soon.
Many thoughts had cross lady Sigyn's mind. Of course there was the honorable thing to do; simply return it to Lady Dagmar. It seemed easy enough, though she couldn't see to will herself to do it. She thought of taking the letter to Loki and reading it to him, but saying the note was from herself. She liked that idea a lot, but their were kinks in that plan. Several. It wouldn't have made sense saying it was from her the situations revealed in the letter were highly improbable, she and Loki hadn't had contact in many centuries since their betrothal was annulled. Also there was the fact that the letter was too well written, the words were too lofty and eloquent. Loki would never believe that she, simple-minded as she was wrote that fantastic banquet of words. Even blinded and without magic, he would still be able to see through such a sham and then all she'd hoped to gain from her lie would be destroyed. Where she'd seek out to be loved and favored she'd only receive scorn in return. Sigyn pondered her options as she rolled up the secret scroll and placed it under her pillow.
She walked over to her fire-place and poked at the kindling there as she noticed the embers had started to die down and now, the summer's had passed and harvest time was near bringing in winter so the air was chilly. Right by her fireplace, there sat a loom. She had few talents she supposed and she didn't consider herself a seamstress by any means, but she could work a loom well enough.
She sat down at it and looked at where she had left off on her latest project. It was nearly complete. She wanted to finish it promptly so she would have it for the morrow when she went to visit with Loki once again. She'd been attempting to make him a fresh pair of trousers. He'd nothing, but prison garments to wear and being that Loki had been kept in the worst of conditions, prior to his recent room change, his pants were torn, ripped pieces of fabric, that even lowliest of paupers would have been ashamed to appear in. As a prince of Asgard, Loki had worn finely tailored apparel, garbs of silk, surcoats of regal velvet, breastplates and polished gold, pants of soft hide leather, that didn't chafe delicate royal skin. He'd always been so very particular about his appearance, having his clothes fit him just so always looking polished and impeccable, not one strand of his thick jet-black hair was ever out of looked at what she was creating on the loom, she hoped it would be to Loki's liking. She knew not his measurements and by no means had she ever considered herself a seamstress, but even if the britches weren't of the best quality they were certainly better that the holey, tattered pants that the once prince was forced to wear. She smiled to herself as she moved the threads throughout the strings of the loom thinking of what details she could add.
"Sigyn! Sigyn!" an ecstatic, shrill voice came forth, bursting through the door without a knock.
Sigyn jumped startled by the loud and abrupt entrance into her bed chamber. She turned from the loom out of breath and huffing only to find a most welcomed sight. "Rana!" Sigyn exclaimed tossing her arms up, allowing a broad smile to spread wildly across her warm face as she beheld a gorgeous Aesir woman dressed in an elaborate, regal red toga with one strap that had a bright and shiny bronze pendant on it. She wore a warm black cape made of ermine. She immediately threw off the cloak and tossed it on the floor.
Sigyn rose to her feet, forgetting about her weaving and started toward Rana. Rana started to walk forward as well the two young women meeting in the middle of Sigyn's greeting room. She immediately folded her sister in an embrace as soon as their flesh made contact. She couldn't help the tears of joy that welled up in her golden eyes. It had been so long since Rana had come to her disgrace, of being accused of infidelity during her betrothal to Prince Loki, Sigyn's family in many ways disassociated themselves with her lest it seem that they had condoned her fornication. Her mother wrote her letters and sent her gifts and would meet with her here and there if she attended court. Her father every so often would send her a small purse so it didn't seem as though their family was dependent upon the king's charity. But Rana had particularly distanced herself, with good reason Sigyn supposed, she didn't want to be associated with her sister and gain the reputation of whore and ruin her own prospects for marriage. They wrote from time to time but their correspondences were always brief, nothing but obligatory telegrams for birthdays and holidays. The last time they'd truly spent time together was during Rana's engagement announcement. When Rana had become engaged to a very wealthy young merchant who was a major trade partner with the Norns and provided many exotic artifacts that graced the homes of many nobles and even the royal house hold, Sigyn had merited an invitation to the betrothal ceremony. But after the engagement party, Sigyn had precious little contact with her big sister in the past year.
Rana could feel Sigyn trembling with glee as she held her close. They both planted soft pecks on each others cheeks after a moment or two of simply hugging. They pulled away from each other laughing like two school chums who had parted and were now reunited after a long summer. They took each other in. Rana looked well. Rana was a lovely young woman, she had inherited more of their father's Sigyn where as Sigyn was built like their mother, delicate boned, petite features and golden coloring of hair and eyes, Rana was like their father with her strawberry blonde-hair, bright blue eyes and striking build. Despite their difference in appearance on some accounts the two bore resemblance to one another, both girls were about equal height, both curvaceous and buxom and both had wide-set eyes and tawny colored skin. "Wha-What are you doing here?' Sigyn managed to stutter out after getting an eyeful of her lovely big sister.
" I came as soon as I heard!" Rana expressed she beamed a lovely smile at Sigyn through rum colored lip paint as she held Sigyn firmly by the hands. "AHHH" the red-haired sister cheered throwing up both their hands in the air. " This is wonderful news!"Rana exclaimed still hugging lovely Sigyn tightly and kissing her with sisterly affection on her blushing cheeks.
"What?" Sigyn asked her honey-colored eyes blinking in wide-eyed confusion as she looked at Rana, "What is this great news?" Sigyn asked laughing, but all together confused.
"What news!" the blue-eyed daughter of Arn tossed her head back and let out a hearty laugh that was like a babbling brook. "What news indeed!" she teased her strawberry colored eyebrows bouncing up and down playfully. "Why your betrothal to Theoic!" the eldest daughter of Arn squealed with glee taking Sigyn by her hands and jumping up and down. Her exuberance pulled Sigyn from her thoughts on the past.
The honey maned servant to the queen beamed radiantly at her sister until she processed all the words, her pretty face twisted and perplexed. "Y-you know?" her features quirked in confusion once they had finally stopped their leaping. She hadn't even agreed to marry Theoic. She hadn't even told her best friend Liv that Theoic had proposed. She would have had it not been that that very same night the queen came and gave her a secret mission. She felt if she shared about Theoic that she would unwitting blab about Loki and she couldn't do that, especially not with Liv. Liv and her were both 2 of the biggest gossips among their age maidens in court. Liv had even fanned the flames on some of the rumors about herself. She said how she knew how many times Sigyn had slept with Prince Loki prior to even their betrothal contract. It was a lie, Sigyn knew it must have been for she herself had lost count of the numerous occasions where she'd bedded the second prince of Asgard. Everytime she had though she'd run to Liv, telling her about it. Perhaps Liv did know, perhaps she'd kept a tally of some sort. Sigyn shook her head just thinking about tallies, facts and figures gave her a headache. There were times when she wondered how she could even have been able to keep Liv as a friend after how she'd participated in the mudslinging, but then she realized even though Liv hadn't necessarily defended her reputation, she hadn't abandoned her, she was standing by her side while other were calling her harlot. She was still there unafraid to be associated with her in her disgrace, unlike her own blood who'd fled for high ground so not to be dragged down with her. It was because of her faithfulness that Sigyn had helped to make sure that Liv was promoted as a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Frigga as well and that had done wonders for Liv's prospects. She married and Einherjar a few months after her promotion and was now pregnant with her second child.
"YES!" Rana shrieked excitedly and broke into giggles. "Oh yes!" Rana continued.
"B-b-but how?" Sigyn was still puzzled.
"He came by, he came by the manor and asked father for your hand, he seemed most earnest," Rana nodded ruby curls bouncing with her bobbing head.
"He did?" Sigyn asked in shock.
"Why yes!"
"What did father say?" Sigyn asked nervously, she brought manicured finger to her painted and glossed pink lip and started to bite at the long nail. She doubted her father would be willing to go through many great lengths to give her a dowry this time around and surely Theoic wouldn't take a wife who came to the marriage with nothing but the clothes on her back.
"He said yes of course!" Rana stated throwing her arms out wildly. Sigyn's bright gold eyes bulged with the news. "Theoic didn't even have to offer a bride price!" Rana winked. "Father didn't even care He was just so happy about the matter he kissed Theoic full in the lips!" Rana explained laughing heartily. Sigyn was shocked. She couldn't imagine her father a hardened man of the sea kissing another man, "Mother was crying she dropped to her knees and kissed Theoic's ring! I am thrilled for you, I rode right away to see, you and give you my congratulations my dear. Congratulations! Congratulations my dear Sigyn!" Rana exclaimed once again pulling her younger sister close for a hug and kissing her cheeks til she almost wiped the rouge off of them, "This is wondrous news, my dear, wondrous news indeed! You are saved! Ah thank the heavens you are saved! Mother and father were becoming so worried about your status," She shook her head and held her hand to her chest as she explained.
"I am a lady-in-waiting to her majesty, tis a noble status," Sigyn defended herself, though her voice was still pleasant not in the least offended.
"Yes, yes, yes" Rana waved off her sisters defense with an air of superiority, 'Tis good and well but now...now you won't have to live out your days as the old harlot of the court," Rana laughed, "You'll be a married woman! Our family reputation will no longer be that of dirt." She squealed once more. "I'm so happy for you," she encouraged. "Tis it not exciting?" she asked her smile never faltering as she studied Sigyn's expression
"It is, I just had no idea that Theoic had gone to speak with Father, it's so sudden," Sigyn admitted breathlessly as she fanned herself with her hand. "I've been busy with the queen's affairs and I haven't had much time to think," Sigyn expressed breathlessly as she fanned herself suddenly feeling over heated.
Rana flipped her curly red mane about, "Haha," she twittered a pretend laugh, "Think? Think? Sigyn you need not think. Heavens know you never did before," She muttered under her breath, but still loud enough for Sigyn to hear. The younger daughter of Arn's brows furrowed and her pretty, pink lips flipped into a frown. "If you would have thought, you would have never been in this situation in the first place," Rana continued to lecture in a hushed tone to herself. She turned her attention back to her younger sister who looked positively fretful. The redhead flashed the younger woman a smile. "What is there to think about?" she went on in a playful tone, "Father says you all can get married as soon as you like. We can arrange for a small ceremony, in the gardens," Rana went on as she wrapped her arm around Sigyn's and started to walk toward Sigyn's sitting area. "Or maybe you would like to elope?" the older Arndottir offered. "Eloping is probably preferable," the older Arndottir nodded to herself, "you can get married at a small temple and then you can move to Theoic's country home, no one need know and then no more slander can befall the family name,"
"I have always dreamed of a big wedding, Rana," Sigyn expressed dropping her head and eyes.
"Hmm I don't know how much father will be willing to pay," Rana Arndottir thought over the matter bringing her ruby-red painted finger to tap at her chin. "Eloping is so romantic, though," she reminded her sister cuddling up close to her as they sat down of the sofa by the hearth. "Besides, Theoic has already had a big wedding with his first wife, he might find it tedious to go through the same hullabaloo a second time," she nodded to herself. "Sigyn dear, can't you fetch us some tea?" Rana asked looking around and noticing her sister hadn't offered her any refreshments. It certainly didn't seem the manners of one who was responsible for entertaining the Queen and her guests.
"Oh forgive me, Rana," Sigyn immediately apologized as she stood to her feet. "I...I...I was not expecting you, I've had much on my mind, forgive my manners, dear sister and you have ridden all this way. I'll get some straightway," she nodded firmly as she dashed quick as flash to her small pantry in her quarters. She placed the teacups and saucers on the porcelain coffee table.
"Oh Sigyn don't fuss!" Rana offered, "I was only teasing," she said catching Sigyn's hand and pulling her back by the wrist to sit down. "I know you have been busy," she expressed. "What with planning your upcoming nuptials!" she once again squeaked with delight like a young field mouse who'd found cheese. "I want to know all the details, my dear," she patted her hands eagerly. "Where did he propose?"
"At a tavern, the very popular one in the center square, we were surrounded by a group of his friends and he ordered some expensive wine and then he asked me," Sigyn revealed giddily. It had been quite thrilling and fun. She hadn't known how to respond before long his friends and brothers and sisters were dumping confetti onto their heads and hoisting them up in the air and parading them around the bottom and top floors of the tavern.
It had been quite thrilling and fun. She hadn't known how to respond before long his friends and brothers and sisters were dumping confetti onto their heads and hoisting them up in the air and parading them around the bottom and top floors of the tavern. Still she couldn't help but compare it to when Loki had proposed to her: Her cousin's had gotten married on ship the ship had just sailed off into the night ready to take the newlyweds to their honeymoon destination. The wedding guests had been escorted off the main wedding vessel and put into small little rowboats from their they tossed rose petals int the water. But Loki had honored the couple and performed an amazing magical display bursting a spectacular firework display into the air as they sailed away. All oohed and ahhed over the finale of colors igniting in the night sky.
"Thank you so much for coming tonight, it meant so much to my cousins to have a prince honor their wedding. It meant so much to me, to show you off," she winked. Loki returned her wide grin with a half smile. He didn't talk much as he continued to row, Sigyn felt uncomfortable with the silence, "It was a lovely wedding, I love weddings! Do you like weddings, Loki?" she inquired
"Yes, Sigyn I like weddings," Loki stated his tone without much amusement. "I have something I need to share with you, Sigyn," he admitted with a sigh after sometime. He'd stopped rowing the actual boat and just used his enchantments to float it across the water. "My father and your father have been talking Sigyn," Loki elaborated slowly.
"About war. Blahhh, how boring," Sigyn jested.
"Not of war," Loki shook his head, his voice very serious and she felt foolish for trying to make a joke. "Of us."
"Of us?"
"Yes. We have courted quite sometime," he exhaled. "They think we are a match. Your father feels that a prolonged courtship with no means of betrothal will ruin your chances of other prospects,"
"I don't want other prospects," Sigyn confessed with helpless earnestness as she reached her white mitten covered hand across to touch Loki's hand.
"I know," He sighed and he seemed somewhat disheartened. "It is coming time for this courtship to end though , Sigyn," Loki warned his voice was stoic and his green eyes seemed to house regret.
"What? Loki? No!" Sigyn immediately started to cry. "I...I...I" she hiccuped miserably as tears spilled from liquid gold eyes.
"Sigyn, calm yourself," Loki replied immediately holding out his pale hand. She stifled a sob and bit her pink lip. "Our fathers are in favor of a betrothal arrangement," He phrased that as nicely as he could. An arranged marriage was what it was. How antiquated of a notion was that? His father would never have forced Thor into a marriage that he didn't want, but for him he should just be grateful that Sigyn was an attractive girl and not some hag. He'd told Odin he did not love her. He'd told Odin that she was an empty headed girl unfit to be a princess of Asgard. Odin rebuffed his claim stating that Sigyn need not be a scholar to make a good wife. He supposed if he would have ranted enough about Odin would have backed off. Odin concluded that in the end he wanted Loki to be happy, But Loki wasn't without his own ulterior motives. He'd notice Dagmar had become slightly more jealous of Sigyn, it wasn't overt, it was subtle sighs, comments in the letters that they'd write, glances of longing that she'd give him, the way she'd cut in every so often if Loki danced with Sigyn. Loki thought that perhaps, perhaps this was the last straw that would provoke Dagmar to saying that she loved him. He'd said it once, when he was a boy and she'd rejected him. It was a pain that still stung and brought a tear to his eye if he thought about it too long. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't be that vulnerable before her and have her stab him through the heart again. But if she said it. If she came to him and pleaded for him not to marry Sigyn, he would not refuse her, oh the contrary, he'd take her in his arms and marry her in that same hour. Perhaps if he wrote to Dagmar about it she would want him. This plan wasn't full proof and if it backfired he could end up saddled with empty-headed Sigyn for the rest of his days.
"Y-y-you mmm-me-me-mean to marry?" she asked her mouth pursed like a child's her eyes wide open.
Prince Loki shrugged, "that is where betrothals often lead," Loki admitted without much mirth in his tone. "That is Sigyn...unless...you..."before he could finish his thought and before he could finis transforming his eyes into the green glow in order to hypnotize her and maybe dissuade her from her feelings at least long enough to get her to tell her father she did not wish to marry, but before such could be accomplished, Sigyn threw herself upon him, flinging her whole body onto his. She knocked him back unto the floor of the small skiff.
"Yes!" she panted forcefully mashing their mouths together while laying on top of him.
"Yes?" Loki inquired with confusion once his mouth was void of her tongue.
"Yes!" she exclaimed kissing him harder and deeper and starting to push off his cloak. "Oh Loki, I love you so much," she swooned snuggling against his neck. He smelt of the mists of the ocean and sky, wonderful. "I do, I really do," she nodded rubbing their noses together as she swung her legs around to straddle his waist. Before long she'd peeled most of his garments from him and she'd brought his fingers to wrap around her waist and encouraging his hands to undress her in like fashion. "I'll be a good wife," she explained.
"Sigyn, please," Loki murmured as the blonde-haired noblewoman relentlessly pulled off his tunics and kissed the newly exposed ivory flesh.
"Mmmm we'll make lots of babies," she giggled excitedly rubbing her warm hands on his tight torso. "How many children do you want?" she asked energetically between breaths as she sucked on the hotspot between his Adam's apple and collar bone. "I'll give you what you want?" she breathed her breathing quickening. Instinctively, Loki's emerald eyes rolled back in his head he moaned despite the dispassion he had toward the woman he was with. "Hmm how many?" she begged to know.
"Three," he offered sluggishly getting lost in the placement of her moist tongue along his body.
"Too few," she cooed finding he was undressing her too slowly so she started to strip a few layers off on her own. "I want ten!" she giggled, " 4 boys and 7 girls," she expressed.
"That's...eleven," Loki corrected her math as felt her fingers slide through his jet black mane.
"OK, how ever many you want," she agreed finding that her top half was fully disrobed.
"Sigyn, we're outside" Loki pointed out.
"I know," she stated eagerly licking the shell of his ear. "It's more exciting this way,"
"Don't you want to wait...um...to go...b-back to the castle?" the green eyed prince suggested feeling her anxiously tugging at his trousers."it...it...it would just take a moment for me to tele-tele-port us..." Loki started
"Can't wait," she panted lustfully.
"Actually, sister," Sigyn started to mumble as she heard the tea kettle over the open flame whistle. She was grateful for the whistle as it gave her a chance to collect her thoughts. She quickly removed the kettle off of the heating rack and reached for the cups filling them each with the warm water before offering her sister cream and sugar for her beverage. "What I was saying was," Sigyn cleared her throat after taking a deep sip from her steamy cup and setting it back down on the saucer, "I'm...I'm not exactly sure..."
Rana's strawberry blonde eyebrows quirked and her lips pursed with concern. "Not sure about what?"
"I mean... I mean I am not sure about the wedding," the golden eyed handmaiden to the queen emphasized.
"You don't want to have a wedding?" Rana's high voice was shocked and her bright blue eyes were wide with horror. Then she burst into giggles. "Well I suppose it's for the best," she flagged off the concern. "Father has spent up most of dowry," she whispered.
"What?" Sigyn shrieked.
"Don't sound so surprised, Sigyn, my sweet, who knew if you would ever have a suitor again and Father needed a dowry for me," Rana expressed as she pointed to herself. "When you were set to marry Prince Loki, naturally father was willing to spend all his riches on getting you the most fabulous dowry, but now...well you are soiled my dear" she explained simply enough. Sigyn shook her head her amber-colored eyes blinking rapidly. "Not to worry, I'm sure we can still afford a simple ceremony between just the two families, you can invite a few of your friends and the servants will attend and Theoic has a large family, it'll be lovely, my dear," Rana encouraged tapping Sigyn on the knees and giving her a sincere smile.
"No! Rana, no! That's not it...what I'm saying is I am not sure...I am not sure if I want to marry Theoic," Sigyn whispered clutching Rana's hands firmly. It felt so good to release it. It had been in the back of her mind since the moment Theoic had proposed but she'd never had the chance to say it. She exhaled and look up at her older sibling with hopeful eyes.
"What?" Rana balked and immediately snatched her hands from Sigyn's firm clasp. "What do you mean?" Rana demanded. "Why? Why wouldn't you want to marry him? He's wealthy, handsome, courteous...what it there not to like?"
"It's not that I don't like Theoic, but...I...I ...I do not love him, Rana...I don't" There, she'd said it. She'd known Theoic for many centuries. He'd always been polite toward her in court. He often asked to dance with her. He often flirted with her. She had flirted back because she was a flirt. Theoic had sent her roses a time or two and walked with her in the garden. It was clear to all that he was interested in her, but she'd never been in love with Theoic.
"What does that matter!" Rana nearly yelled.
"Rana! How can you say that? As girls you and I always talked about marrying for love." Sigyn implored her sister to remember.
In frustration the red-head maid threw her hands up in the air. "Sigyn! You are a woman of ill-repute," Rana pointed out. "Love is a notion that virgins can hold out for not someone like you,"
Sigyn gasped, "I am only a woman of ill-repute because of Theoic. He is the reason I am not married to Prince Loki," Sigyn persisted.
"And now he is making it right, he is marrying you as is customary in such situations," Rana explained.
"It had been almost 3 centuries, Rana, I...I have been labeled a whore and Theoic never defended my honor. He never championed me! He left me to fend off the rumors by myself and married another," Sigyn stated feeling herself becoming flustered and worked up.
"Sigyn, what did you expect him to do?" Rana asked.
"I would think that a man who truly loved me would be willing... well he would have married me a way so that I wouldn't have lived all these years as a scandal!" The amber eyed lady-in-waiting insisted.
"Perhaps he was afraid to take your hand in marriage, after all you were the intended bride of a son of Odin, he didn't know what Loki's reaction would be. Father defended your honor and was publicly beat for such," the blue-eyed daughter of Arn pointed out. "He probably feared that Loki would turn him into a donkey if he did the insult of pursuing you."
"But if he loved me..."
Rana held out her hand that glistened with a shiny gold band, signifying that she was due to be wed very soon, silencing Sigyn. Sigyn gulped back down her words. "You think to highly of yourself, Sigyn!" she scolded. "You were still sullied goods before Theoic slept with you, you'd been Prince Loki's harlot for so many years," Rana rolled her eyes as she thought about it.
Lady Sigyn's pink lip started to tremble, she couldn't help the hot tears that splashed down her honey colored cheeks. "So that's what you think of me, sister? That I was nothing but a whore?" her voice shook with her question.
"Sigyn all I am saying is that no man is going to risk life and limb defending the honor of a woman who isn't even a maid, even you should be wise enough to understand that. Sigyn, you should just marry Theoic," Rana stated flatly.
"How can you want me to marry and be a man's second wife?"
"Oh it is not all that bad," Rana dismissed Sigyn's concerns. "Besides, Elke talked to one of the chambermaids who came with Theoic when he visited with father and she said that lady Terese had yet to give Theoic a child. If you give him a child then your place as favored wife would be assured," Red-haired Rana encouraged.
"And if she has a child even after my child is born her child will still inherit all the titles and wealth from Theoic," Sigyn tried to defend her position.
"Oh Sigyn!" Rana shrieked furiously balling up her hands in tiny fist and jumping from the couch and to her feet. "Don't be a fool!" she shouted. "Haven't you any brains about you at all!" she continued. "No man would want you now, you have publicly been accused of infidelity, you are not a virgin and have no dowry to speak of, what man do you expect to want you? Hmm? You think some Einherjar will want to wed a woman such as yourself. Think you that a jarl will take you to his bed. Theoic is a kind and attractive man who wishes to wed you can't you just be happy with that?' She pressured her voice still a shriek in Sigyn's ear as tears washed down her face. "You have disgraced yourself, you have disgraced father, mother and me! Now you seek to make a fool of yourself by passing up the only chance you have to do good for the family?" Rana finally stopped her ranting out of breath from screaming.
Sigyn fell off the couch collapsing to her knees and covered her face with her hands. She scuttled closer to her sister and buried her face in Rana's deep cranberry colored gown, "Oh Rana, sister please," she whispered between muffled sobs. "I don't love him," she tried to explain best she could
"You could grow to love him!" Rana insisted.
"But he loves another woman before me, I want a love that is mine!" Sigyn wailed, protesting that she wanted something that was hers. She felt like a toddler: frustrated, angry, sad wanting to be loved. She thought in a moment she would have started to kick her feet and fall out on the floor. Perhaps Rana sensed in a minute she was about to give way to such fitful behavior, for she felt Rana's arms come and wrap around her. She allowed herself to collapse into her sister's embrace for a little while before she collected herself. "Do you love the man who you are betrothed to?' Sigyn questioned softly as she rubbed under leaking gold eyes. The red-haired girl bobbed her head as she stroked Sigyn's platinum locks. "I want to marry a man I love, too. What happened between Theoic and I cost me that before..."
" You should be grateful to Theoic! You could have been saddled with Loki. That monstrosity!He is a scoundrel. You should drop down on your knees and kiss Theoics boots from keeping you from knitting your soul with such a horrid villain!"
"I love him," Sigyn stated.
"You love him!" Rana hollered as she leaped out of the tight hug that she'd wrapped Sigyn in and left her sister sprawled out on the floor. "You Love him! HE'S A MONSTER! He's a horrible animal, Sigyn!"
"No!"
"Yes! Yes he is! He destroyed the Bifrost!"
"It was an accident!"
"He attacked Midgard, slaughtered hundreds of mortals for no reason at all, he plotted treason. He killed even those of Aesir blood! His own people. He attacked his own mother! Savage! A beast like that is incapable of loving and unworthy of being loved!" Rana yelled down at Sigyn who seemed to be cowering on the floor.
"You're wrong Rana, you are wrong," Sigyn whimpered as she hugged herself tight, her head bowed as she cried and cried deep and loud. 'You were not there...you did not see...I saw I... saw Loki come and heal the queen..."
"A trick!" Rana insisted stomping her foot.
"I know there is still good in him," the blubbering bright gold eyed maiden nodded to herself where she sat.
"What? Has he bewitched you that you cannot see his blatant evil!?"
"How can he bewitch anyone when he has no powers? He is in a cell blind and... and powerless..."
"Good! Great! Wish the extraction had killed him," the strawberry blonde daughter of Arn spat.
"How can you wish that? He's a prince of Asgard!"
"He is prince of nothing!" Sigyn's older sister yelled with her painted lips snarling. "He's a heartless monster and when he finally rots to death in that cell all of Asgard will celebrate. And you say you love him! You have a chance to marry a decent man, and you wish to disgrace us all the more by confessing to have affection for that CREATURE! You are a fool Sigyn!" Rana yelled.
"What if he loves me?" Sigyn questioned boldly looking up at her sister with tear filled eyes.
" Sigyn listen to yourself, this is madness. How could he love you all of a sudden. He has been confined in that prison since he came to Asgard, why would he be thinking of you?" Rana questioned indignantly.
"Because," Sigyn high-pitched voice nearly squeaked as she offered protest. Rana's lovely blue eyes turned to Sigyn wide eyed and expectant for an answer. "I...I...I" she sputtered. She couldn't tell Rana of the fact that she'd been tending to Loki secretly for weeks.
The older Arndottir puffed out an exasperated an exasperated breath. "Exactly my point," she declared bringing a painted finger tip to point in Sigyn's direction. "I would have thought by now, Sigyn even you would have figured out that he never loved you."
"What?
"He never loved you, if he loved you he wouldn't have accused you publicly he would have dismissed you in private or still married you and never brought up the matter,"
"But what if he does now...what if he does now?"
"He is imprisoned for the rest of his life, he couldn't marry you even if he wanted to,"
"The all-father could still grant him some grace of give him a pardon," Sigyn pointed out perkily.
"He can never be pardoned for the things he's done, he will rot in that dungeon and then he will rot in Hel!" Rana shouted vehemently. "And you! You are a fool. You are greater than a fool, you are an imbecile! You would squander your affection on that that...that madman when a decent man wishes to marry you. You have disgraced us for the last time. Father will make you marry Theoic!" Rana warned trembling with anger as she wagged a finger in Sigyn's horrified face. "He will! He will! You will not shame us with your foolhardy ways!"
"Everyone deserves to marry for love Rana," Sigyn explained.
"Then marry him and rot with him for all I care," Rana's eyes stared back at Sigyn without any sympathy before she turned on her heels and stomped out of Sigyn's chamber.
Sigyn, finally, pulled herself up off the floor. She crawled over to her bed and dug under the pillow pulling out the secret scroll that Dagmar had written to Loki. She pulled it out and hugged it tight to her chest. She didn't know if it was right or wrong. But it was what was right for her. She'd give it to Loki, read it to him, then she'd know once and for all. If Loki loved Dagmar then she'd marry Theoic. Maybe she was a fool, but even if she was a fool, she still deserved to have one last chance to marry the man she loved.
Loki awoke to blackness, but such was the norm. Odin may have been able to transform his skin to that of an Aesir's, but he could not give him back the sight which had been so barbarically stripped from him. The once prince of Asgard sighed as he rolled over on the bed. His eyes were open and his head faced the ceiling, but he saw nothing. He heard Thor's deep voice doing its best to whisper, calling him brother. Loki's thin lips curled in resentment. He heard Odin telling him to remember who he was so he could come home. Home. Home. What would he return home as? A mere slave? A blind wretch that was Prince Thor's charity case? He snorted, yes what a life that would be. Better than life in the dungeon, a tiny voice in the back of his mind offered. He bit his lip. That voice was becoming more pesky these days, poking its head where it shouldn't be. He tried to ignore it. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, balling his hands up by his side and lying stock-still as if he were dead. Perhaps if he just ignored it. Perhaps if he just pretended it wasn't there, it would go away.
At least a servant can walk the palace freely, the voice reminded him.
"Be quiet!" Loki gave in to arguing with that voice from deep with in and he could have slapped himself for such weakness. "I'd be a slave!"
You were Thanos' slave...
"Stop it!" Loki growled flinging his pillow.
You'd be love
"I don't love them," He protested. "I hate them,"
They love you.
"No they don't! They lied to me! They betrayed me! They imprisoned me!" He yelled back at the small voice. He felt it shrink and he almost regretted that. "They stripped me of my power," He choked out, feeling the ache and burn of the withdrawal over take him once more
You could have redemption, Loki, how long are you going to wait in this dungeon and pout?
"I don't want their redemption," the once mage railed.
Do you want to die in this cell?
"No," he mumbled like a brooding child
What do you want?
"Revenge," he seethed in a voice that was frightful and dark. His words made the tiny ember of light nearly sink down into the pit of his stomach. He felt his heart clench as if it was constricted by ice encasing it. But he had said it and he meant it. He did want revenge. He did want Ragnarök! He did want Odin to bow at his feet, he wanted Thor powerless before him. There was a part of him that wanted that. It was a large part of him so much so that it felt as if it was all-encompassing, that it consumed him and ravaged him, making him lust for the demise of Asgard's beloved hero, but there was another part of him. It was a miniscule piece of his soul, a fraction of a particle of his heart. A flickering ember that he'd thought he'd lost but slowly it tried to rise from the rubble and ashes of his battered and hollowed heart and burn. It was a disgusting, sniveling, childish little flame that still held warmth and affection, that still wanted to be approved of that still longed for love. "Fear is greater than love," he mumbled to himself with his fist clenched by his side.
You know that isn't true
"Why?" Loki scoffed at the timid tone that welled up from the back of his mind. "Because of a stupid fairytale I read as a child?" he scolded. The light connected to the tiny voice withing the deep recesses of his heart, flickered and dimmed and the warm glow that was there started to face and he felt ice swirl and blow around the flame inside so ready to extinguish it.
Remember who you are Kai so you can go home, the voice reminded him of his favorite childhood tale.
"Enough!" Loki hollered sitting up and tossing the cashmere quilt off of his body and tossing it across the room as he swung his legs off the bed, his breathing ragged and his thin porcelain shoulders heaving up and down. A shiver coming over his body as he was completely exposed to the frigid temperatures of his room. He heard the quilt hit against the table where the chessboard was arranged with all the pieces. He heard the crystal chess pieces fall from the desk and clatter and clank onto the floor. The noise loud and harsh, grating and shattering amidst the silence of the prison chamber. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't help feeling compelled to rush over and check on the the chess pieces that he'd knocked down. He sprung to his feet, nearly sliding and slipping across the icy floor as he flew to his knees scuttling to gather the scattered pieces.
As his fingers fumbled collecting the crystal piece feeling along the edge to make sure none had been broken on chipped his knuckles rubbed against each other. One knuckle was smooth as butter, soft and warm, but the other, the other knuckle was rough and jagged, sharp like chipped ice. It was frigid as the snow. Loki gasped in horror as he felt the frost trail up the right side of his body and then run down the left. He instinctively dropped the broken crystal pieces as his body shook and shuddered as once again his flesh glazed over in an azure tint. "NO!" Loki screamed out as cold engulfed his being. His hands felt up and over his limbs and they clawed at his face as he raked long black-ice talons through his ebony mane and finally down onto his face where he could feel the nasty patterns, circles and line etching their way back through his flesh. Without his own powers Odin's simple incantation to hide his Frost Giant appearance was a weak spell indeed. Had Odin done it only to con him, only to play with his emotions only to give him a spark of hope and dash him back down into this abyss, this monstrous existence. The spark of light that flashed on and off in Loki's soul started to fizzle and Loki relished it and feared it all at once.
Who are you Loki?"
"I'm a monster," Loki announced answering the question posed to him by the small voice from deep within as he grappled and his scalp and folded over tightly groping at himself gasping in pain.
No you're not, the voice replied. It spoke so gently to him. Reminded him of his mother's touch.
"YES I AM!" Loki physical voice screamed raw from his throat. "Haven't you any eyes to see?" he screamed defiantly at himself waving blue hands about before his own dead red eyes. "I am the son of a monster and therefore that is what I am," he confessed.
I don't want to be a monster Loki, do you?
Loki was about to reply, give some smart retort, but before he could he felt a familiar presence enter the room that made his blood run cold. Another had entered his tiny domain. His hair stood on end on the back of his cold neck as slow foot steps plodded forward. Loki closed his eyes as the familiar presence descended upon him. Reflexively, Loki swallowed. It was like the dark shadow of a storm cloud rolling in across the sea. It was foreboding and made him want to seek shelter, but there was no shelter from such a storm.
"Hello Asgardian," a hollow, frigid tone echoed from behind the crouching figure by the writing desk.
Loki stiffened at the taunt of the cold words that had been uttered. The words were meant to provoke. "Asgardian," he scoffed and nearly bit his tongue realizing that he'd allowed his sarcasm to slip out in front of him. He was almost afraid of what he might do, but what could he do? What could this one, who was simply a pawn of another, do to him that his own 'family' hadn't? He could kill you. He reasoned silently to himself. Death. Loki chuckled at the thought, he'd faced death before. He'd faced it when he'd fallen into the endless void. Slowly tumbling through an abyss feeling the vortex try to tear him into, his lungs losing oxygen; feeling as though they may burst from want of air. His heart pounding frantically trying to stay alive. Then there was blackness and he'd thought he was dead. Then he heard old threats replay, "you think you know pain?" he heard the haunting voice whisper in his ear, "He will make you long for something as sweet as pain," he declared as his horridly squishy six-fingered hand slapped across his head sending a painful electric pulse through his head. Loki shuddered. He thought of the extraction, the gnawing, ceaseless agony that coursed through every fiber of his being, plucking and pulling, tearing and shredding him of his very life force. Such excruciating torment that made his body seem as if it would either explode or disintegrate into thin air. And yet the threat had been worse. He couldn't imagine what type of anguish would await him if left to the hands of this cruel messenger. He couldn't go through it again. Not the wheel, not the machine. He'd beg to die. He'd beg like a dog. He'd cry like a little baby. He'd scream, plead and sob, but he'd find no mercy from those pitiless talons. The torture would be an unending suffering. They wouldn't let him die. For death would be a kindness and their was no kindness to be found amongst them. Though they'd offered him some hospitality in the past, treated him as an ally, in order for the mutual gain it would not last now. He'd nothing to offer. They'd torture him until he was a senseless shell. "What Asgardian do you speak of," Loki spoke up all though he kept his voice merely a mutter.
"Is that not what you called yourself, Loki of Asgard?" The echoing voice boomed out a question with a hint of humor and amusement. Loki listened for the steps that glided forward he could scarcely feel the creature's large, lumpy, cold and clammy tentacle like fingers reaching out to touch his bare and quivering spine. He heard the alien chuckling at his expense and it took all the will power for Loki not to lash out at the messenger for his taunts. "You called yourself a king... Rightful King of Asgard. You thought you'd be lord of Midgard," The dark blue cape rustled as the intruder paced about before a bowed and humbled Loki. His mirth over the matter growing with each step. "My lord why art thou brought so low?" a bloody mouth sneered. "Oh king where is thy crown? Where is thy throne?" he persisted.
"King of Asgard! HA-AH-Ha-ah-ha!" the monsters scorning laughter echoed off the ice slick walls of Loki's prison chamber. "Conquerer of Midgard! AH-HA-Ah-ha-ah," the mockery continued. "Prisoner, wretch, blind beggar, Jotun whelp," The tongue lashed leaving scars to his ego like a whip would leave on his bare back, "weakling" the taunter spat behind Loki's bent back. "So easily swayed with sentiment," the monstrous alien pointed out. Loki cringed under the echoing words. He cringed for he knew the words were true. "A mere visit from the all-father," the creature cloaked in a regal, but dark cape began, the two tongues within his mouth clicking simultaneously. "The reading of a children's tale," the two black tongues lashed out as the grovelling once self proclaimed ruler of Midgard. "That is all it took to bring you to your knees, make you capitulate once again. "I told the master that your ambition was little and full of childish need," The swirling winds of the voice in the room were like daggers digging into Loki's flesh.
The words harsh as they were, were manifest 100 times fold because they rang true. Sigyn's kindness, Thor's embraces, Odin's visit overwhelmed his soul and flooded him with so many good emotions that he felt the fence of stone and ice that he'd built around his heart chipping under the weight of their love. The ice in his soul thawing and melting with the warmth that he felt from this supposed family. He was tired. He'd grown so weary. He'd grown so weary of being angry, he had debated being Thor's servant...it was weakness at best. "You so desperately seek attention, but what has it gotten you, but the form you despise, blindness and being bereft of your precious powers," it seemed as if the Other snickered at his punishment.
Loki growled, jumping to his feet turning sightless eyes toward the shadowy figure. He was glad his eyes couldn't see for once he had no desire to look at the bloodstained teeth of Thanos' hound. "Why are you here?" Loki demanded.
"To collect atonement!" The Other hissed like a viper. "To enact punishment," the bloody toothed creature snarled. His sicken breath curling in Loki's nostrils and nearly making him gag. He stood steady and firm, refusing to cower in front of Thanos' dog. "We put the scepter in your hand, provided you with an army, gave you the Earth as a mere simple toy to test out the might of the Tesseract on and you couldn't even handle that," he spat a purple gooey saliva at Loki's feet! YOU FAILED!" The other hollered with tremendous fury, in Loki's face, the bloody spittle flying from his mouth and landing on Loki's azure face. Before Loki even had the chance to respond the stinging red saliva that stained his icy flesh, the floor of his cell began to quake and crack. Loki's glazed over red eyes darted about as he threw out blue limbs trying to keep his balance to no avail. Loki found himself crashing back to the floor as the room rumbled. The few items in his cell crashed to the ground like the chessboard that he'd tried to assemble, the food tray that Thor had brought to him, a small wooden washbasin and the thick thud of an old book followed.
"I did try," Loki confessed from his knees, his head bowed toward the Other's boot as he tried to keep his limbs from shaking like everything else in the prison quarter.
"Did you try or did you lie?" The Other hissed his question. "Trickster!" his chilling voice reverberated in a slimy sound off of Loki's ice-walled cell and into his blue ears. "Perhaps you exaggerated your powers only to get us to spare your worthless life?"
"Your master knew of my powers he was the one who came to me, for he could not control the Tesseract without having all 5 of the Infinity Gems, I offered him a way to do so," Loki dared bring his face up. "Without my knowledge, without my powers..." Loki started to raise himself off of his knees now that the room had settled and was no longer shaking like the bows of tree in a wind storm. "He would have never even found the Tesseract," Loki declared
"You have done nothing!" The Other bellowed in a cantankerous blast. He snorted like a disgruntled pig "Your promises wrought disaster for the Chitauri," The Other explained lamenting the destruction of his people and their forces.
"Had your army been as formidable as they claimed..."
"SILENCE" the henchman of Thanos resounded. "My master grows impatient with your incompetence, Loki," The Other dug hearing Loki growl with the mention of what he truly was. "He'd thought well of you and showed you favor that you did not deserve. I was the one who spoke highly of you before him," The Other lectured like a disappointed tutor, he clicked his thick flabby tongue on his blood encrusted teeth, "Now we find you powerless in this cell, perhaps you have outlived your usefulness," The Other threatened as he reached forth plump blue and gray sausage fingers out into the air making a squeezing motion that caused Loki to grasp at his chest.
Loki gasped recklessly, his breathing coming out as a wheeze as his icy hand dug into his chest. He felt his heart clench hos lungs tighten as they became mere putty in The Other's grubby hands. He could feel the bones of his spine being twisted and twined under The Other's control. His heartbeat was becoming erratic and the pain that was curling through the arteries was simply unbearable. Loki wanted to cry out, but the pain was too great within seconds Loki was lying on his back madly scrambling for oxygen as well as feeling as though he wanted the claw his heart from out of his body if only to separate himself from the pain. He heard The Other laugh. His chortle was a disgusting gurgle like the sound of muddied bubbling water in a bog and it was as coldblooded as Loki's Frost Giant flesh. Loki clawed at the air as he felt himself being strangled, his long black talons seemed to be trying to scrape oxygen from the air and into his lungs. "He has no tolerance for your lies," The Other announced as he walked up on Loki who hyperventilated on the ground, his cobalt colored limbs bucking and kicking despite the fact that they were becoming numb from the lack of circulation.
"Not...a...not...not...lie," Loki panted in awful panic his red eyes bulging out of their blue sockets. The Other continued as he slowly glided toward Loki his hood over his horrid face. He placed his boot across Loki's chest. Even through the black boot, he could feel how Loki's heart was frantically trying to beat despite the constrictor like grip that the powers of The Other's applied to the prisoner's blood muscle. He smiled and his bloody teeth were displayed proudly although Loki's sightless eyes could not gaze upon them. He looked with delight as he watched the Jotun under his boot's flesh turn an even more sickly tint. Skin that was already blue as an icy sea started to turn a deep plum color around his lips and cheeks and lungs as he struggled to bring in air.
"Comfortable, little trickster?" The Other cruelly asked. The once powerful enchanter's arms and legs started to stop their scary jerking. Loki's blinded red eyes batted furiously as consciousness started to slip from him. He barely managed to offer as weak turn of the head in protest. "Call for your brother to help you, like you did before," The Other pressured as he pushed on Loki's head making the blood vessels in his head feel as if they were going to burst. "Call him," he scolded moving his boot to step on Loki's throat. "Let us see if he comes this time, you were so sure before," The Other mocked as he stooped down and roughly pinched Loki's cheek. "Call for him," The Other ground out between his blood stained lips as the weight of his boot feel upon Loki's ribcage
Loki gulp his heat pounding frantically for life inside his frozen cavity. "Th-th-th," He started unable to get his tongue to form the word out as life seemed to slip further from his grasp, his word reduced to nothing but gasps for air, anguish and the Other's commands.
"Ooh louder," The Other instructed never lessening the tight clamp he was forcing on Loki's organs. "He can't hear you," the blue skinned minion of Thanos insisted "He's so close by, surely he'll come and find you this time. Surely he'll save you now," the monster taunted. "Call him,"
The frost Giant moaned pitiful, "Thor!" the prisoner whispered sluggishly his red eyes rolling like marbles as his head. "Th-thoooorrrhelpmeplease," Loki whimpered as blood poured from his nostrils with his last remaining bits of consciousness. "Brudderp-pleeezzzz," he slurred as blue lids slid shut over dead red eyes.
"Is he here?" The Other questioned incredulously finally removing the pain from ravishing Loki's body. "Is he?"
Loki shook his head weakly, before uttering a quiet, "No,"
"Will he ever come?"
"No," Loki groaned, "I don't believe...I don't believe he will anymore... no more...please," he entreated the cruel Chitauri.
The Other removed his heave foot from Loki's heart. "Very well," The Others' voice was unnervingly calm as he spoke once more. Loki still lied on the ground struggling and gasping for air as he felt some feeling return to his writhing blue limbs, "Thanos believes you can still be of some use to us," The Other explained in a wheezing breathy voice as he licked a slimy tongue over his reddened teeth.
Loki managed to catch his breath as the throbbing, burning sensation in his chest subside, he sat up still panting. "I have no powers," Loki replied his stoic voice a weak whisper he swallowed hard struggling to keep his tone from revealing how shaken he was. If this was a preview of what Thanos wanted just to make his being a permanent whipping boy for the Chitauri and to enact their vengeance upon he'd surely scramble to find the dulled Dragon's Tooth Dagger and slit his own throat. Maybe that was the cowards way out, but he'd surely take it. "Of what use could I be?" Loki offered cautiously.
He could nearly feel the tainted smile squiggling its way across The Others disturbing features. "Do you know of the Convergence?" he asked.
Loki nodded, before bringing his lips to form a reply. Yes, he knew of the Convergence. He imagined that only Odin, Heimdal, and himself truly knew of the significance of the Convergence. It had been nearly 2000 years since an occurrence of the planetary phenomenon. "Yes," Loki finally brought his mouth to mutter with bitterness and resentment as he breathed out the yearning for her. "It is the time when all the worlds align," Loki explained with a flippant gesture as he looked at blackened nails. "When dimensional travel is easiest, even without the Bifrost,"
"You know of the cosmic energy that it releases," The Other stated. The blue skinned prisoner merely nodded. "Convergence...it is upon us," The Other announced he raised his squishy 6 fingered hands toward the sky and relished in the moment. "And the Aether will awaken,"
Loki quirked his ink eyebrow and scoffed. "Odin believes the Aether was destroyed," he stated plainly.
"It was hidden," The Other proclaimed his voice fizzing with anger that Loki would insinuate that he didn't know what he was talking about. "It is an Infinity Gem, and therefore cannot be destroyed," he explained his voice a rumble.
Loki closed his eyes. He remembered being a boy and Odin taken he and Thor to the old library at the University, the halls of history. He'd told them an old story of ancient battle at the end her explained how his Father, King Bor, hand defeated the dangerous enemy and destroyed their source of power, much as Odin had defeated the Frost Giants and taken their casket. Loki pointed out to his father that it seemed improbable that the Aether could have been destroyed being that it was an infinity gem. Odin scolded him saying that the Aether had been eliminated long ago and being a boy it was not his place to question the history of the people. He frown and closed his cold hands into a fist. He bit down a growl thinking of it as another lie Odin had told him. Loki shrugged nonchalantly, "What has that to do with me?"
"Malekith, an old ally, will seek it out," The Other began to explain.
"The leader of the Dark Elves?" Loki more so stated than asked. He heard The Other grunt an affirmative response. "He has survived as well" Loki assessed and mused the plausibility of such realizations for a moment.
"He and a small battalion of Elfin soldiers have been in hibernation while the Aether slumbered, but once it is awakened so will they. "Thanos and Malekith once used the Aether hoping to destroy the might, majesty and light of Asgard, but they were defeated then. Now is the time for us to strike once again. Allow Thanos to plunge the Realms back into a state of darkness where he can rule and Malekith will be able to rebuild his world once more."
"Once again you fail to tell me of how my services will be required," Loki said smugly, he gave a smirk.
"In the days of old," The Other began to reminisce, his echoing voice trailing off distantly, "Mjolnir and Gungnir put a stop to the war. They decimated the forces of the Dark Elves and foiled Thanos' attempts to rule. Once again theyare the only weapons that can stand in our way," The Other began to explain. "Together, their might combined, they can destroy the darkness."
"And you want me to rid Thor and the all-father of their relics?' Loki inquired as he folded his legs under him Indian-style.
"Precisely," The Other declared, his tongue lingering on the "s" sound.
"And what is in it for me," Loki asked as he rose to his feet and gave the messenger of Thanos his back. A smug grin crept across his chiseled Frost Giant features.
The Other growled like a rabid dog, transporting himself rapidly before Loki's face, his rough looking, grub-like, blue sausage finger displayed like talons before Loki's placid face. 'You get to keep your life!" he howled. "You get to keep your head connected to your neck!" he barked.
Unflinching, Loki blinked clouded red eyes at the monster before him his lips smirking all the while. He could hear the way The Other continued to snarl he could picture him foaming at the mouth like a provoked rabid dog and he somewhat relished it, now once again he had a card in his hand to deal. "I don't threaten," Loki added smartly just go get a rise from the beast of a lord. He merely licked his lips hungrily and inclined his head ever so slightly listening for the bargain.
"Thanos will give you Asgard," The Other offered his voice was a whisper. "You will be his regent," The Other waved his hideous, pudgy blue hand.
Loki's blinded red eyes grew wide in astonishment, "Ragnorok," he breathed lustily and then lapped his darkened tongue over frozen, blue lips.
"Yes," The Other leaned in to Loki's ear feeding into his desire for power and his love of mischief and mayhem.
Loki's breathing grew ragged with anticipation, he was nearly tempted to clap his hands like an ecstatic youngster receiving a gift. He tamed himself, stilling his hands and controlling his facial features so that they did not display his overjoyed, yet sick smile. "How will I find Malekith?" Loki asked his voice intrigued, but still rigid.
"He will find you." The Other started to explain as he turned away from the once prince. He nodded and started to walk toward the glowing golden magic enforced shield as if he would walk right through it. "When the opportunity makes itself known to you, do not hesitate to act or our ends could be lost," The Other cautioned.
The Jotun in the cell kept his back to The Other as he slowly lumbered toward the force field shield. Loki heard his thick heavy cape drag across the stark white floor of the chamber, dragging the few possessions that Loki had been allotted during his confinement with him. The heavy velvet cloak trailed the old book of the along with it."And how do I accomplish this, without my magic?" Loki asked his back still turned, but his eyebrow arched with the inquiry.
The Other halted in his tracks a nasty grin on his twisted face, he brought his plump, azure fingers to touch at his chin guarded by strange Chitaurian armor. "Yes," once again his words were howled and whispered eerily in the called containment chamber. "I suppose that would be useful to you," He chuckled cruelly before turning around and marching over to Loki quickly, before Loki had a time to react to the smell of The Others' reeking breath hitting his narrow icicle nose (the breath was so vile and hot Loki nearly though it would melt his nose) The Other produced a staff and touched it to Loki's chest. It sent a lightening bold of electricity surging from the crown of his head and down his spine. It was hot and furious, strong like an ocean swell washing over the body. It was horrible, painful and yet wondrous feeling all at the same time. It was a sensory overload: blazing heat, freezing chill, euphoria, agony, strength and weakness, energy and lethargy. Loki's eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to look at his hands, they were glowing as the skin melted from frozen blue to a warm white. His reddened eyes rolled to the back of his cobalt head. He went rigid and then immediately following he became as limp as a rag doll. His legs felt like rubber unable to support him he collapsed onto the frozen floor. The Other loomed over Loki melted body sprawled out over the floor. Loki's eyes fluttered feeling all of a sudden very tired and heavy. The blue skinned Chitauri messenger squatted down his booted feet on either side of Loki's body. "This is your chance at redemption, Loki, do not fail again." The Other whispered creepily to the imprisoned mage. With the little strength he had left Loki managed to nod his head before completely passing out.
She stood there for a moment frozen and petrified as she gazed through the hazy glowing shield. Someone was in there with Loki. Someone or something. It was a horrid looking creature, dressed in regal dark blue velvet garments, with gold plated armor and rings on his pudgy fingers, but there was nothing noble about the figure. It was ominous and frightful. At first she thought that perhaps it was another Frost Giant. It was awful looking enough to be one. She should have immediately sprinted back up to the guards and warned them, but somehow she couldn't break her eyes from staring in at the pair of them in there. Whatever this creature was it was something to be feared. She watched the whole thing, how without even a touch, he'd sent Loki writhing on the ground desperately gasping for air. She'd heard them talking though she couldn't make out the words. They were not speaking in normal Norse, it was a strange language, dark and mysterious. She knew Loki was fluent in many languages so It didn't surprise her that he was able to dialogue with this monster. When she saw him turning around to exit the room after he and Loki had finished talking, she hid, ducking behind a pillar just outside the view of the cell, but then she heard a pained scream and even from her hidden position she could see the flash of blinding, electric blue light that radiate through the small prison chamber.
She gasped aloud, immediately turning around to see the commotion only to watch from behind as Loki's Frost Giant body jerked and twisted in a disturbing fashion. She could scarcely make out the monster inside the cell with him laughing coldly at Loki's pain. It was awful. Loki's body went limp for a second and he swayed before he collapsed on to the ice cold ground. She called out his name, reaction made out of pure panic as she watched. She reached out her hands in earnest as if she had intended to catch him and break his fall as she rushed up on the golden force field. Instantly, the young maiden regretted her outburst. She clapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late, whoever was in there had heard her. His cruel laughter was cut short and her turned on her like a viper ready to devour without pity. His soulless black eyes looking right at her and burrowing through her. At once her hands flew off her mouth. Her eyes wide with terror. She shrieked an earsplitting screech as she saw a sickening smile spread across that creatures face his teeth dripped of red. The Asgardian woman backed away in fearfulness. "NO! NO! NO!" she hollered thinking that this venomous monster was hungry for her flesh. "No! Guards!" she started to call trying to run, but tripping over the edges of her long skirts. She heard the thumping steps of the creepy figure sneaking up behind her she curled up in a ball like a child and tried to shield herself. "Please," she whispered in a small cry for mercy. Then there was another brilliant flash of lightening and the regally dressed alien was gone.
She wasn't exactly sure how long she'd been huddled in a big ball on the floor cowering like a mouse before she brought herself to open her pretty eyes and look around. Once again the dungeons were dark and they looked untouched dank and dismal. She blink her big eyes over and over again and then started to rub them trying to make sure her eyes didn't deceive her. She was almost about to dismiss all that she had seen as a mere imagination. Perhaps her imagination was just running away with her. She nodded trying to convince herself as she peeled her body off from off the wet dungeon floor made her way toward the force field wall that kept Loki at bay within his chamber. She pressed her face against the florescent glittering gold shield only to find Loki's scrawny body sprawled out on the frozen floor. In a panic she pressed her palm against the scanner allowing the shield to fizzle and granting her access into his chamber.
"Loki! Loki! Loki!" a frantic voice called over the unconscious man lying on the ice covered ground. "Loki! Loki!" the high pitched woman's voice continued to yell as soft hands feverishly patted his narrow cheeks and jaws that were now covered with Aesir flesh trying to revive him. He looked so beautiful once again, porcelain skin that was flawless and unscathed as if he was a priceless ivory image to be displayed in a museum. How was this even possible? He'd been extracted, there was no changing him back... was there? "Oh dear, oh dear," she mumbled worriedly seeing that he hardly stirred at all. "What has happened?" she questioned desperately already starting to feel tears prick her eyes. him down trying to wake him. "Oh no," she started to sob seeing him unchanging and motionless on the floor. "Oh Loki what has happened? What has he done to you?" she wailed dropping her head onto his chest and allowing fresh, salty tears to fall on his smooth alabaster chest. Slowly, milky eyelids started to flutter open exposing eyes that were a piercing emerald for the first time in what seemed like ages. She'd been so used to seeing those gory film covered red irises, that she'd forgotten how deep and completely entrancing his jade eyes really were. Her heart started beating fast in excitement that he was awake. She looked into his eyes and noted though that there was a new energy in them. A bright smile stretched over the woman's face,
"Oh Loki! Oh Loki!" she cried in elation flinging herself back against his cold body. "You're alright!" she continued to exclaim. "Are you alright?" she asked hopefully scooting closer to him and bringing a bronzed hand to reach under his head. "What was that? Who...who...who was that?" the questions continued to tumble from pink lips. "Did he harm you?' She asked pulling him to a sitting position. "How'd? How'd...How'd you change back? The All-father...Prince Thor said that the All-father was going to try to restore you to your normal self...but I..I...I saw that person..." she shook her head her lips moving more rapidly than her mind was able to process though. "I was so scared," she confessed as tears flowed from amber eyes and dribbled down her chin, only to feel Loki cool fingers wrap around her neck cutting into her windpipe."Loki," she grasped, placing her hands on top of his trying to pry his strong bony fingers from squeezing too tight. "He's gone... he's gone...it's just I...it's just...please," she choked. "It's just me," she squeaked out feeling his clammy hands encase around her throat.
Loki released his grip allowing the body to fall to the floor struggling for air. Loki's green pupils glowed with new vitality, he inhaled full and deep as if breathing after being held under water. He exhaled, now invigorated and released a surge. It pulse out of his as a blinding gold light which rippled through the room knocking about the simple furnishings of bed, table and chair and flinging the books, food, and plates and the chess set about. It also sent the young woman in the cell with Loki, hurling toward the back wall with a yelp. Loki jumped up, his body feeling strong and vibrant once more. His back hunched as he spun around in a wild circle relishing in his powers once more. He took in his surroundings, rubbing white knuckles over green eyes. The bright light of the room stung his eyes. It sent him reeling back and nearly kept him in a state of blindness. His pupils dilate, slowly his emerald eyes started to adjust to the stark and sterile white, walled cell. The room shined like a diamond. It had been so long since he could see. He'd thought he would have had to spend his entire life as a wretched blind mole. He looked around the room and noted the beauty of the well crafted furniture that he'd been given, the richness of the tapestries that he'd been given to decorate his abode. He felt his eyes start to water. He didn't know if it was because his eyes were still adjusting to the penetrating light of the prison chamber or because he was overwhelmed with the revelation that once again he could see. Immediately, Loki shook himself batting back the water that welled up in his tear ducts.
Finally, after a delighted twirl his darting, jade eyes landed on a small figure huddled in the corner of the cell, glass shattered about her and feathers from the pillows fluttering like freshly falling snow down on her platinum blonde hair. Her pastel pink and amber colored dress disheveled looking. She was curled up in a ball her knees pulled up the her chest, her arms protectively wrapped around her fair-haired head. She was trembling violently. Loki's breathing was ragged as he looked at her and started to stalk toward her his expression nearly quizzical as he cocked his head to the side trying to make out who she she was. When she noted that no more shards of class seemed to be flying about and no more books seemed to be hitting her sunkissed skin she started to peel her arms away from cradling her head. Her pretty pink lips slightly quivered as her big, golden eyes opened to peak at the room. "Loki?" she breathed her voice still startled and scared.
She thought she'd barely blinked her eyes twice before she felt cold hands roughly wrapping aroud her soft forearms and hoisting her to her feet, shoving her forcefully against the white plaster wall of the cell. She whimpered slight as she felt her back collide with the stone and as she felt strong thumbs squeeze on her tender arms. She shook her head, scared and disoriented by his uncalled for abrasiveness toward her. "Loki, Loki, Loki" she mumbled in a panic.
" Hello, Sigyn," He breathed her name, his voice low and nearly snarling and he twisted one of her arms behind her back causing her to wince slightly. His eyes were dark and deep black circles were colored under his eyes. His breathing erratic. His smile straight and sick as he gazed down at her. She panted with fear, her lips quivering, her golden eyes watering and fer brown face starting to redden. "You picked a most inopportune time to come and visit me," he stated letting out a chuckle that made Sigyn feel nervous.
"Loki, Loki," she begged frenziedly as she wriggled trying to break free of the painful position that she'd been forced into. "Please, please," she pleaded pathetically, dropping her head before daring to look back into his tainted, glistening, green gems. "Please," she gasped once more, "I'm...I'm frightened," she explained her breath hitching as tears started to spill from her eyes.
He tossed his head back his unruly black mane swirling about to the side as he did. "Of me?" He inquired with a strange sort of pleasure to his tone as he raised an eyebrow and let the traces of a devious grin glide over his lips..
"Yes," Sigyn spoke immediately, perhaps too soon. she watched as his twist smirk faded and he simply grimaced. "I mean no," she recovered with a lie...I yes...I'm...I...I...I saw...I saw that creature," she shook her head and brought glistening amber eyes to search his wild looking green pupils. "I...Loki who was... what was that? What did he do...?" Sigyn started.
"You shouldn't be here, little Sigyn," The green-eyed prince responded calmly as "There are some sights not meant for your innocent eyes," He smiled, and traced a cold finger down the side of her face, his smile was still so sinister, so different than when she'd seen him last.
"I...I...I..." the queen's lady-in-waiting hiccuped.
"Why'd you come back?" He questioned green eyes roving over her body. He licked his lips, they were still ashy and chapped. He hadn't had a chance to see her in the days that she she'd been tending to him. He'd mostly ignored her after he'd broken off their betrothal, but he'd forgotten how beautiful Sigyn truly was. Skin was the color of a sandy beach, her eyes were like thick, rich, round pools of golden honey, her lips were puckered like dainty pink tulips, her hair was flowed like streams of sunshine off of her head. He studied the way her pastel dress fit her figure. The neckline was high enough to be considered tasteful, but low enough to be tantalizing revealing her bronzed bosom. He noted the embroidered empire waistline of her gown that showed also the tempting curves of her torso. He leaned over close to her breathing in her faint scent apples and butterscotch. She smelt delicious. He smiled despite himself."Did Odin commission you to come back?" the raven locked ex-prince of Asgard continued to ask. "Did he send you to be his little spy? To tell him if I was broken and contrite and ready to do his bidding, be his obedient little slave, who would kiss his ring for his beneficence toward me," Loki started to chuckle cruelly and it sent a shiver up Sigyn's spine. "I'm afraid you'll have to report back to the all-father with some disappointing news," He smirked at her cruelly.
"The all-father didn't send me Loki," Sigyn swore as hot tears ran down her flushed face. "Please let me go...please, please...Please, I...I..I only came to see you...to help you," she panted her tanned skin slowly growing paler. The queen's lady in waiting felt Loki's grip on her loosen, soon he wasn't holding her at all. Her neck and arm were free and she sank to the ground bonelessly still trembling and sobbing. Her throat and wrist were now bruise from the constrictor like grip he'd held her in. She could scarcely bring her shaky right hand to massage over the fresh sores that marred her honeycomb flesh. Loki took a step back his narrow features showing into a frown.
"To help me," Loki repeated as if he was listening to a child telling a nonsensical story, "That's so sweet," he mocked.
"You're not well," Sigyn went on to mumble.
"Do I not look well, child?" He let a cackle roll out his throat, it was high pitched teetering on the very fringes of mania. "This is as well as I've been since my return to Asgard," He told her proudly stretching out his thin arms, that no longer looked scrawn and starved, they were strong and sculpted.
"Because of that creature?" Sigyn spat. "What has he turned you into?" Sigyn dared to ask. Loki quirked his lips amused by her obviously
"He has restored to me that which is mine. That which Odin and Thor robbed of me," the green eyed magician told questions. "That which is my birthright," Loki growled clenching his fist together.
"Please, Loki...that thing...that horrible thing was a monster and what he did to you...we must tell the all-father,' Sigyn insisted. "So h can help you, Prince Thor said that ..."
Loki held oout a rigid porcelain hand and Lady Sigyn immediately stifled herself. "I don't need his help," Loki confessed as he took a deep breath, "The tides are turning little one soon Odin and Thor shall see all that I have become," he swore.
"I don't understand," Sigyn replied.
Loki looked down at her fondly like one looks at an old pet, "Of course," he replied and the reply wasn't harsh just accepting of the fact that she was oh so feebleminded. "You need not concern yourself with it now, Sigyn" he informed. "You have been kind to me, Little Sigyn," he told her stooping down and nudging her chin up so that he could look into her golden pools, she was a fair woman. "Perhaps in time you will come to find favor in my court," the trickster pledged to her with a wink.
"I..."
"Shhh," Loki hushed her gently rubbing chilly hands over her loose blonde strands. He smiled at her, his emerald eyes starting to spiral in a hypnotic fashion. Sigyn blinked once then got lost watching the swirl of green and gold going round and round his irises. Absentmindedly, she smile too. "Don't tell anyone what you saw Sigyn," he instructed in a soft tone. 'can you keep a secret?" he asked and she bobbed her head in compliance. "Good girl," he stated before patting her on the head and helping her to her feet. "Go on, Sigyn" he state as he dismissed her
Sigyn walked without a thought toward to shield ready to exit. Slowly the intense hypnotism faded, leaving her feeling lightheaded, woozy and forgetful. She brought her tanned hand up to her brow to massage her temple."I...I Theoic proposed to me," Sigyn began as if nothing else had transpired. "I didn't...I didn't I didn't know if I could marry him,"
"Why?" Loki asked somewhat annoyed.
"Because I love you!" she confessed turning from the exit and looking back at the beautiful raven-haired man in the cell.
"What?" The raven-haired prisoner gasped. His hard and malicious expression faltering. His face sharpened the sharp angles that had been pressed into a sinister sneer morphed into a bewildered grimace that wasn't cruel as much as confused and overwhelmed. The one time prince's lip twisted, "You should marry Theoic, Sigyn," He stated stoically, his eyes looking down at her with hardly any feeling at all. "It was not your fault what happened between us that night," Loki's eyes remained hard and distant, "I transformed myself in your form and flirted with Theoic much of the night and manifest a duplicate image of myself to entertain you. In your form, I planted the notion in his mind that you wanted to sleep with him. Then got you drunk enough so that as you waited for our planned interlude," he gestured with wiggling fingers "that when another man came into your chamber to bed you, you wouldn't know the difference; you wouldn't know who'd laid with you in the night."
"Why?' the blonde haired disgraced woman asked.
"Because," Loki nearly roared as he turned and looked into Sigyn's wide trembling gold eyes. He dropped his own green pupils.
"Because you loved Dagmar?" Sigyn asked with a sniffle and a hiccup as she tiptoed back toward him. Loki answered her with a shrug as he walked slowly back toward his overturned bed. "Even still Loki? Even still do you love her over me...even now when I have remained and she's gone...oh Loki I will be faithful...I...I" Sigyn continued.
"Marry Theoic, Sigyn," Loki confessed his long raven locks falling in his face as he shook his head and laughed a low and nearly mocking laugh at her. "be with a man that loves you," he stated as he shrugged his blue shoulders, "Why would you want to be with a monster?" he asked in a quivering murmur.
Sigyn raised her warm hand to cup his frozen cheek, "You're not a monster," she told him slowly as she wrapped both of her honey hands around his hard azure face bringing the bloody red eyes to face her. "I know...I know that deep down inside," she began slowly as she gently brought his face closer toward her own, he could feel her tepid breath against his cool flesh "I know," Sigyn breathed again panting as the cool from his cold fingers snaked through her curly blonde locks.
"You have no idea what I am," He shot at her. "You don't know what I am capable of," His voice was low and dark as he pushed her hands back down by her sides and pinning them there.
The amber eyed lady-in-waiting pulled her wrists free of Loki's hold she brought her sandy hands to touch Loki's bare porcelain chest that heaved. She felt along the contours on his bony frame. "Oh Loki...I love you. I always have and I always will," The golden-eyed lady-in-waiting blubbered against his skin. "I will live here in the palace and visit you every day until you are freed from this jail. I will follow you if you are banished...I...I don't want to marry Theoic, though he is a good kindly man, I want to marry the man I love...Do you love me?" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He was stiff as a board but she stood on her tiptoes and brought her rose petal soft lips to peck at his thin mouth. She smiled up hopefully her radiant amber eyes glistening. "I... I know Dagmar is smarter than me, I know she is prettier than me, I know she's a better match, but is she a better lover than me...I don't think she loves you more than me..." Sigyn panted her lips still lingering near his mouth.
Loki's arms tightened around her slender waist. "I don't want to hurt you, Little Sigyn," he explained bending his forehead over so slowly to touch hers. "You've been kind to me," He stated as his breath hitched as he once more inhaled her sweet aroma.
"Then... don't," Lady Sigyn muttered quietly as she allowed her warm flesh to brush against Loki's hairless cheek, she batted her long gold eyelashes over deep honey eyes before rising on her tip toes to kiss him again. He kissed her, long and slow, gently, like he cared. He'd never kissed her like that before. She turned to a pile a butter in his arms. She melted into his body, her legs felt so weak she could hardly stand. Finally their lips parted, both their mouths gaping and longing for more. She went to meet him again in a lusty kiss wanting to taste him. He pushed her away. She beamed up at him her golden eyes brimming with love. "I have something for you," Sigyn expressed joyously, "Well two things," she elaborated with a girlish giggle. "Here," she stated as she pulled out a folded up bundle from out of one of the concealing folds of her overcloak. She shook it out and revealed a lovely pair of freshly sewn green trousers with embroideries of gold running up the seam. She grinned from ear to ear as she held it out for him."I made it for you," she informed proudly. "You should try them on...make sure they fit," she explained as his ivory hand shook as he started to grab at the gift. "And this," she added also digging into the pocket within her cape and plucking out the scroll.
"STOP IT! You foolish girl! I don't love you, Sigyn." he announced. "I never have...I never will," he confessed with no remorse in his tone. "Marry Theoic, Sigyn" he ordered. "Get the hence from this place, and don't come back!" he roared shoving her to the sizzling force field barrier. She screamed out of pain. Loki immediately rushed to her side as she fell to the floor. "Sigyn, I'm sorry," He began as he slid to her side.
The queen's lady-in-waiting recoiled from his touch, "What are you?" she asked with tearful eyes as she desperately scrambled to her feet.
"Sigyn. I can heal it..." Loki started to explain only to watch as Sigyn ran from his presence.
Lady Sigyn tore from Loki's cell. She bolted up the steps of the dungeon as tears of anguish streamed down her. She wailed wildly and loudly as she reached the palace hallway and continued frantically trying to dash to her room. Her golden eyes were blinded by the flood of tears. She ended up running into Olaf Dirkson, Lady Dagmar's soon to be husband.
"I say," the handsome Vanir man bristled as he felt Sigyn's tiny trembling body bang into his. "Mind where you step!" he barked.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," the amber locked maiden of Asgard blubbered unable to stop her eyes from leaking.
"Lady Sigyn?" Lord Olaf asked as he shifted his head trying to get a good look at the woman in the dark hallway. "I was just on my way to deliver this healing crystal to Lady Dagmar," He expressed revealing a small glowing blue gem from a pouch.
"I cannot! I cannot!" Sigyn declared throwing her hands up and shaking them feverishly as she started to push pass the foreign dignitary.
"Now see here!" Olaf started to roar. "You are merely a servant in this house," he started to fuss. "I demand that you carry this to Lady Dagmar at once," He protested reaching out and grabbing Sigyn by her cloak. Sigyn paid no heed to Olaf's demanded she pulled herself free from his clasp and continued running. "Come back here!" Olaf bellowed after her, but soon Sigyn had disappeared down another corridor. Olaf's brown eyes glanced down and he noted a scroll on the ground. At first he thought to leave it. Lady Sigyn had certainly not been willing to aid him, so why should he bother to care for her letters. Then he noticed the insignia on the the clamp around the parchment. "Dagmar's?" He whispered to himself as he noted the beautiful sapphires and diamonds on the clamp. He shrugged. She was his wife, by common knowledge even if they hadn't exactly had the ceremony. A woman had no right to keep correspondences that her husband did not know about. He opened the clamp easily and started to unravel the scroll. His earthy eyes scanned across the top line and he saw red.
"To my dearest Loki,"
A/N: WHOA that was a long one. This was a difficult chapter to write but I finally felt satisfied with it. I Hope to put out another chapter before the year ends, but we'll see. Either way the next chapter will probably be the final one. It will pretty much be with in the scope of TDW but the plot will be altered. Until then have a safe, blessed and MERRY CHRISTMAS!