Loyalty and Mischief (WIP)

Chapter 22 - You showed me the world when I was all locked up inside

A/N hard sexual content in this chapter

"And your name is? - I'm Thor. A-And the fellow asks You're Thor? And- gnha- a-and Thor says Well, it HURTH!"

The bellowing laughter of the group filled the hall. Thor only chuckled along and looked over to Sif, who next to him. She rolled her eyes. Clearly, they both thought the same thing; Volstagg's joke definitely lost its charm when you had already heard it seventy times.

The Crown Prince of Asgard glanced up at the empty seats at the table on the dais. He imagined his brother seated in his chair, overlooking the merriment but not joining in it (a trait Loki inherited from the Allfather), with Sigyn sitting by his side, whispering to him and miraculously making him smile. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
Thor still had reservations about Loki taking his wife to Alfheim so soon after all she had gone through, but Frigga had assured him it was for the best. They both needed time alone to heal. And despite Thor's resentment toward Aelsa, he had to admit she was the best person to help Sigyn since she was part fire mage herself.

"Something on your mind?"

Thor was pulled out of his musings by Sif's concerned voice.

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking of..." Thor motioned toward the empty seats.

"They will be all right." Sif put her hand on top of his. "They will return before you know it."

"I hope so."

Another roar of laughter waved through the group. Thor noticed Fandrall amidst them and raised a brow. He would have thought his friend to be more bereft after losing Astrid, but it would appear the youngest member of the Warriors Three recovered quickly from that loss. Fandrall had his arms around a servant, his face buried in her auburn hair as he nuzzled the side of her neck. Sif followed Thor's gaze and sighed.

"A new one every day." 

"I thought he would have needed more time."

"Not Fandrall. Healing means forgetting and moving on for him. It is his own way of dealing with his grief."

Thor recalled when he took Fandrall to see Sigyn and Loki. His friend was convinced Astrid had been with them all that time. Nothing could have prepared him for the terrible truth. Sigyn told Fandrall what Astrid had done and how she died (he was the only other person besides Loki, Sigyn and Frigga who knew the details about Astrid's death and refused to speak of it to anyone else) and asked him to forgive her. Fandrall had responded curtly, saying that no forgiveness was needed from him. That, if Astrid truly had been capable of all that, she was not the woman he believed her to be. He swore to Sigyn then that if she ever needed a champion to fight for her, he would gladly step up and die a hundred deaths. He was one of the last to leave Sigyn to her solitude but had kept a regular patrol near her and Loki's chambers in case she needed something. If there was one thing the young warrior embodied, it was unyielding loyalty.

"Thor..."

Thor looked up when Sif nodded her head to the Guardian of the Bifrost and the Allfather, approaching swiftly. They both rose from their seat, but Sif but remained at a distance.

"Heimdall? Why are you here?" asked Thor fearfully, looking from his friend to his father. "What has happened?"

"Loki and Sigyn have left Alfheim," replied Odin. "Two weeks ago."

"What?! Why did we not know of this sooner?"

"I regret to say that my eyes were deceived by the combined magic of Queen Aelsa and Loki," admitted Heimdall with a clenched jaw. "It would appear Loki and Sigyn conjured illusions of themselves, and the Queen kept the magic up. Her envoy sent a message today saying they left the day after they arrived in Alfheim. I have searched for them through all Nine Realms, but I cannot find them."