Chapter 14
It’s enough to stun you into silence. Your mind takes off a mile a minute at the mere mention of her name.
“Goddess of fidelity.”
“Yes. Loyalty. The purest embodiment of loyalty.” He turns your hand over, tracing the creases of your palm, before looking back up. “Sigyn and I were very close in a way that the Nordic people mistakenly took as marriage. We protected each other.”
“Took care of each other,” you say, thinking of the way you used to be with your friends back home.
“Yes. We weren’t in love, but we were together.” Something behind his eyes shifts. It’s not hard to tell that his mind is a million miles away. “You know, she would have done anything to save the people she loved.”
Would have. Would have. And yet here she is, as alive as anyone you’ve ever seen, and staring at Loki with an intensity that makes you feel as though you might as well not even be in the room. Cell. Whatever.
“I must say,” he remarks, his tone far too light and airy to match the magnitude of the moment, “I’m surprised to see you returned to Asgard.”
“Father retired.”
“Then I suppose congratulations are in order.”
“It’s old news.” A somber note enters her voice. “You were gone a long time.”
“Mm.”
“When I first received news of your return, I could scarcely believe it.”
He gestures to himself as best as he can with his hands bound before him. “And now?”
“Now?” Sigyn smiles sadly, her heart-shaped face pretty as a porcelain doll’s. “Now I believe it more than I’d like to.”
“My sincerest condolences.” The biting wit. The hint of sincerity. You're not used to hearing it directed at other people, not like this, and you wish, you wish you could see his face. “What an honor for me, though. To have the ambassador to Alfheim herself come down to escort me to my trial.” She lifts one brow in response, and he chuckles. “That is why you’re here, is it not?”
“You and the mortal, yes.” She begins to walk back through the door of the cell, which lets her pass easily.
Loki hesitates. “She has committed no crime.”
“I was told to bring you both.” For the first time, she turns her full attention to you. “Unless you would rather wait here alone?”
You shake your head.
“I thought not. Come along, then.”
You feel Loki’s hand in yours as you climb up, up, up the endless stairs, but your mind is so far away you may as well have left it back on Midgard.
His shackles have grown along the way, chains climbing up to his neck, a pair heavy around his ankles. You are met at the top of the stairs by four more guards. One grabs the end of a chain on either side of Loki, forcing you to shuffle to the side. Your hand feels unbearably empty. You end up sandwiched between the other two guards, though you remain noticeably unchained. You assume they aren’t particularly concerned about the physical threat (or lack thereof) posed by one mortal girl.
If only they knew what you could do with a fish fork.
Seeing as how you’re decidedly unarmed, though, you go without complaint. As you walk down the hallways at a somber pace, you can’t help stealing glances in her direction.
Her.
Sigyn.
Loki had said they weren’t in love, and you trusted— trust him. But there is still a history between them. You can see it in her eyes, in the way his face lit up when he heard her voice, and it has left you at a loss for words. This isn’t exactly anything you could have predicted. You don’t recall Lady Amara ever giving a lecture on “conversing with your significant other’s… not ex, exactly, but definitely something like an ex.”
Perhaps you’d skipped afternoon lessons that day.
The throne room is no less intimidating the second time you see it. Odin remains atop the throne with the same blue-robed woman to his right. As you and Loki are brought to a stop, you see Sigyn continues forward. She climbs the stairs to the throne, stationing herself on the other side.
The regal-looking woman is the first to speak. "Loki."
He smirks at her. "Hello, mother. Have I made you proud?"
The look she gives him is heartbreaking. "Please, don’t make this worse." She says it steadily, quietly pleading. You find your sentiments mirroring hers.
"Define worse?"
"Enough!" Odin barks.
The gleam that has appeared in Loki’s eyes upon entering the throne room is one you don’t recognize in the slightest. Glib. Cavalier. He looks every bit like the monster who conquered your planet, not at all like the man whose ring you’re currently twisting nervously around your finger.
"I really don’t see what all the fuss is about?"
"Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin and death."
"I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent God.” But he changed. He gave that up. So why isn’t he defending himself? “Just like you."
"We are not Gods. We are born, we live, we die. Just as humans do."
"Give or take five thousand years."
The Allfather stares down in disgust, as though Loki were something he peeled off the sole of his boot. "All this because Loki desired a throne."
"It is my birthright!"
"Your birthright was to die !" he snaps. Both you and Loki flinch. "As a child. Cast out onto a frozen rock. If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me."
"If I’m for the axe, then for Mercy’s sake, just swing it.” You stop breathing at that. “It’s not that I don’t love our little talks, it’s just… I don’t love them."
Odin shakes his head. "Frigga is the only reason you’re still alive, and you’ll never see her again. You’ll spend the rest of your days in the dungeon."
No.
"And what of Thor? You’ll make that witless oaf King while I rot in chains?" You hear the anger in his voice, and you feel suddenly small. Forgotten. You thought he had given up his lust for power.
You thought he’d given it up for you.
"Thor must strive to undo the damage you have done. He’ll bring order to the nine realms and then, yes, he will be King." For the first time, Odin acknowledges your presence. "The mortal will stay with you. You can watch her starve to death, for all I care."
Loki's eyes widen, his snarky facade gone. "No. Do not punish her for my mistakes."
"Many human lives were lost during your stay on Midgard. What’s one more?"
"Her suffering is unnecessary."
"The deaths you have caused were unnecessary!" Odin roars. "You have shown no remorse for your actions thus far. The death of one more mortal will not matter in the grand scheme of things. No," he snaps, jerking away from the queen's touch. "I will not be swayed in this."
"Before I am to be locked up forever, Your Majesty, I beg you, hear me out." When he makes no move to stop you, you approach Frigga, dropping to your knees before her. "My Queen, you are a mother. If your husband will not pardon Loki as his son, perhaps he will pardon him as a fellow father." You look up at her, tears in your eyes, pitching your voice so that only she and the king can hear you. "And I, as a mother-to-be."
Her eyes widen slightly, just enough that you know she understands your plea. You stay down, trembling. "Please," you whisper. "Please."
"Enough." When you look back up, you see Odin's eyes are burning. "Take the prisoner back to his cell."
You feel yourself go numb, feel the energy drain from your body as you wait for the truth of this to sink in. You don't flinch against the guards’ approach. Before they can shepherd you away, Odin raises a hand.
“Leave the mortal.”
“No.” You leap to your feet, only to be restrained by a guard who holds you back by your arms. "No—Loki!”
"(Y/N)—"
You're both still screaming as the doors slam shut.