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Mourning Star- Chapter Four

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Chapter Four

For something as legendary as the Aether was supposed to be, Sigyn could find precious little on it in the Archives, save only that it was  gone, destroyed by King Bor at the end of the war with the Dark Elves. A history clearly written by the victors. Nothing on how to stop it or control it. Nothing on how to help Jane.  She contemplated using the bowl, but it had been cryptic as of late and of little help in anything.

“Lady Sigyn.” Fandral came up behind her and Sigyn rolled her eyes. This lack of privacy was really starting to bother her. “Have you heard? Thor’s brought Jane to Asgard.”

“I heard,” she answered, not looking up from her book. “Not only was I there but I’ve already spoken to her. It didn’t go well.”

“Really? Well, I for one am shocked.” Sarcasm, and she nearly smacked him with the book for it.

“Is there a reason you’re here, Fandral?

“Yes, and I’ll get to that in a moment. Did you know your guard is smitten with you?”

“What? No, he’s not.”

“Uh huh. Then why did I have to mention Thor’s name for him to let me get close to you. Why does he watch you like a hawk even now? And I distinctly remember him at the banquet last night; when was the last time he took a break?”

“He is diligent.” She distinctly ignored the last question. “I am a traitor wed to a war criminal; a girl who should be grateful she’s allowed to live.” Sing the songs they taught you.

“Diligent, right. If that’s what you want to call it…”

“You mentioned Thor,” she said eager to change the subject. “Is that why you’re here?”

“He said that Jane wishes to see you again before she returns to Earth.”

“To deliver one parting slap, perhaps.”

Just as she was about to flip the pages of the book, Fandral placed his hand on one side to keep her from doing so. “Thor would not request your presence if he thought she would do that.” Since it seemed she wasn’t going to get any reading done for a bit, she closed the book but wouldn’t look at him, instead absently tracing the pattern embossed into the cover. “Sigyn,” he said quietly. “You needn’t do this to yourself. He would not show such devotion to you were your places reversed.”

I make no promises that I will be a good husband. “Loki is unpredictable. Who knows what he would do in my position,” she said, despite the doubt gnawing on the edges of her mind. “Such speculation is pointless.”

“I think you know, but you’re scared you’ll be alone if you admit it. But you won’t be. Sigyn, no one wants to see you go through this.”

He was trying so hard to be kind, she could hear it in his voice, but every word he spoke grated along her nerves. She was tired of all of it, of everyone’s condolences, of their offers of release. She had made a choice, a difficult one she had not taken lightly, and now all she wanted was to be left alone with it. “Thank you for your concern, Fandral, but there are bigger issues at work here than the state of my marriage. Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe you said Thor is waiting for me.” She pushed past him and hurried towards the exit, Theoric coming up beside her.

“Of all the men in Asgard,” he called after her. “Why him?”

She stopped, not turning to face him. Theoric did as well. “Would you like me to silence him for you, my lady?”

For a moment, she entertained the idea. No doubt whatever Theoric’s means of silencing would at least be mildly amusing. But Fandral’s earlier comment about him being smitten had lodged itself under her skin, and Theoric’s offer scratched at it. She shook her head and continued out of the archives.

He would not be getting an explanation of her relationship with Loki. Only two people had earned the right to even part of that knowledge: Darcy and Thor. She was exhausted, irritated, concerned about Jane and lack of answers regarding the Aether, and longed for her husband. She could not trust what would come out of her mouth if she stayed.

Fandral’s comment about Theoric lingered still, picking away at her thoughts with each step he took behind her. “Last night, when you said you weren’t afraid of me, what did you mean?”

“Exactly what I said, my lady. I don’t fear you.”

“And why not?”

He knew where this conversation was going; he just smiled and said, “Because I don’t.”

“I see. Is that why you picked up an extra shift watching me? To prove something to your friends in the Crimson Hawkes?”

His smile faded. “I told you, my friend misses his wife.” And the knife twisted a little more. “Why do you think you were assigned a guard in the first place?”

“Because my husband is imprisoned for attempted genocide and attacks on Midgard, the latter of which I helped with. I can only assume I’m not in prison because of Thor’s and the queen’s intervention, and the guard is to make sure I don’t pick up where he left off.” Or try to get him out.

“And you’d be partially right. Most of the guards selected to watch you view you with suspicion.”

“Then what am I missing?” She’d listened to others conversations in the shadows, heard the rumors about her, but all she had gathered was that her return to court hadn’t been met with celebration and those outside (and mostly inside) Thor’s inner circle didn’t trust her.

“Loki’s attack on Midgard wasn’t popular, but there are some who aren’t terribly upset by what he tried to do to Jotunheim.” Sigyn stopped and looked up at him. Did he, or anyone else, know about Loki’s parentage? Would they still feel that way if they did? “If there were to be an uprising of any kind from these people, you would be someone they might turn to.”

“And the guards are watching to see who my would-be conspirators are. And if what they say is more than idle talk.” She was another pawn, and in a way that angered her more than the rumors she knew circulated about her. “That doesn’t explain why you’re closer than my shadow, or why you show more concern for me than any of the other guards I’ve had.”

Theoric wouldn’t look at her for a moment, and she suspected Fandral was right: he was smitten. “Your husband’s enemies are now your enemies,” he said quietly. “Others see guarding you as a way to monitor your actions; they are not as concerned with protecting you.”

Sigyn crossed her arms over her chest, closing up on herself. Loki had many enemies now, but the only enemy she had been concerned with as of late was the All-Father changing his mind and bringing the axe down on her neck. Other enemies had been all but forgotten. “You’re implying you’d protect me?” Not really helping the not-smitten argument. He nodded. “Why?”

“Your loyalty is…admirable. I do not want to see you hurt or made a pawn for it.”

“Let me guess, admirable but misguided?” She’d heard several variations of that before. Loyal, but to the wrong side.

“No, just admirable. I don’t agree with what your husband did, Lady Sigyn, but your courage and devotion is…inspiring.”

She took a step back and avoided his gaze. It was too warm, too kind for someone who didn’t know her. Fandral was probably right; this guard was smitten with her, and it would be cruel to let him think he had any chance with her. Still, he had been kind to her, and given her several interesting pieces of information. She could at least let him down gently.

“You know I have given my heart to my husband, yes?”

He just smiled and said, “I do ask for it nor offer you mine, my lady, merely my sword and shield.”

“Sigyn!” She thanked whatever deity took pity on her and turned towards the voice that called her. The queen had rounded a nearby corner and was approaching them. Theoric took a step back, and she breathed a little easier. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Not at all, your Highness,” Theoric answered. “Lady Sigyn and I were just discussing protocols for an acceptable course of action should someone bother her with unwanted attention.”

“I suspect this has something to do with Fandral in the Archives. Walk with me.” Sigyn fell into step with the queen, with Theoric dropping several feet behind them. “As much as it pains me, you are still a prisoner,” she said quietly. “It would be safest if you refrained from drawing too much attention to yourself.”

“Understood.” The reminder stung given Theoric’s revelation. “I just…grow tired of people asking why I stay with him, of telling me that no one would blame me if I left him.”

“People will continue to talk or a while, but they will eventually give up.” She glanced back at Theoric before leaning in closer. “Do you think you can get away from your guard tonight?” she whispered.

“Possibly.” If it was Theoric, he would look the other way. She couldn’t say the same for some of the others. “Why?”

“I have a way for you to see Loki. I didn’t want to say anything before when you were under the most supervision. But I think seeing each other would be good for the both of you.”

Sigyn smiled, color and warmth blooming in her cheeks. “I’d like that. How is he?”

“He is angry, hurting, and I think he misses you.”

“I miss him too.”

“Then I will send for you later tonight. In the meantime, I’m on my way to see Thor and Jane. Would you like to come with me? I think Thor is looking for you.”

“That…probably wouldn’t be a good idea. I saw them this morning. Jane still hasn’t forgiven me for, well, everything, and I don’t want to upset her further.”

The queen smiled and gently patted her arm. “I’m sure once all this business with the Aether has died down, you two will be able to mend this bridge.”

She doubted that; there were some things that were fatal to friendships and participating in an attack on one’s home world counted as one. “I hope so,” she said anyway because it was true.

She and the queen parted ways, and Sigyn slouched against the nearby pillar, a smile on her lips that was too difficult to contain.

“Good news, my lady?” Theoric asked.

“Possibly.” She pushed herself off the column and walked back towards her room.


It was the rumbling she felt first; subtle, but enough to make her pause. Her bowl and a vase wobbled just slightly on her mantle, rattling but not falling over. Sigyn gently touched the bowl. It hadn’t been moved from its place on the mantle since she returned to Asgard, nor had she used it for fear it would drive her mad. Her dreams were just starting to return to normal, even if she hadn’t slept very well, and Sigyn would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little afraid of using the bowl again. But her trip to the archive had given her no answers about the Aether, and if she wanted to help Jane, there weren’t many more options.

Then there was another rumble, and then another, before a horn blared in the distance. A horn that meant there was trouble in the prisons. She knew they were bringing back prisoners from Vanaheim, and prayed it was just a skirmish. Yet Loki was there, and she couldn’t help the jolt of worry that raced through her. She cracked the doors open and peeked out. A few Einherjar were running down the hallway.

“Theoric?” she whispered. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. You should stay in there.”

“Yeah, no.” She slipped through the door and ducked behind another column. She wasn’t going to wait around for someone to tell her what had happened.

“Theoric!” Another guard came up to him, and Sigyn held her breath, melting into the shadows. “You’re needed.”

“What about the prisoner?” It was the first time she’d heard him refer to her as such.

“Bar the door. Make sure she can’t get out, and then meet us by the prisons.”

Sigyn waited until he was gone before stepping out of the shadows. “You know I’m not going in there, right?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

“Then why would they pull you away from your duty?”

He didn’t have an answer for that. “Fine.” He unsheathed one of his swords and held it out to her hilt first. “Then at least take this.”

“Don’t you need that more?”

“I’ll get another. Just in case this is worse than we think.”

Sigyn looked at the sword for a moment before sighing and taking the grip in her hand. As soon as she did, Theoric grabbed her arm. With a quick “Forgive me, my lady”, he opened the doors and shoved her back into her room.

“Theoric!” No matter how hard she banged or shook the doors, they wouldn’t open. “Damn it, let me out!” No answer. He had probably already gone. She still had his sword and tossed it on the ground in a fit of frustration.

Had Loki managed to escape somehow? There were few things going in the dungeons that would require this many Einherjar. She paced back and forth, frantically trying to think of that would require this kind of reaction, and avoiding the one she most feared. She could strangle Theoric for trapping her in here.

Outside, someone screamed, and soon more and more voices joined it in one terrified chorus. A cold dread wormed its way through her and she rushed to the window. A giant ship loomed over the Bifrost, and smaller ships were descending rapidly, coming towards the palace, and Sigyn was glad Theoric had left her with a sword.
I apologize this took so long to update. Real life and school picked up for a bit then settled down again.
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