Loyalty and Mischief (WIP)

Chapter 6 - And love just took me by surprise

The effects of Loki's trickery struck Sigyn hard. Everywhere she went, she believed she saw him. Hidden in her room, sitting at the Yggdrasil fountain in the garden, coming around the corner from the hall, standing on the other side of the market... It was infuriating how a mere illusion of him gripped her so. Especially when the real Loki never came near. Yet Sigyn felt his eyes on her, watching her from the shadows. She tried to ignore him and stayed away from the Prince as much as possible. When she was awake, at least.
In her dreams, Sigyn met Loki in faraway places hidden from everyone where only the two of them existed. They were together like she wanted them to be. Like she ached for them to be. Whenever Sigyn then eyed Loki the following day from across the table at breakfast, she wondered if he had dreamt the same dream, and if it was all truly a trick, or if it may be something else. Something deeper.

Her preferred Midgardian story of Tristan and Ysolde often came to mind, and she couldn't help but think she was like the maiden in that tale. Promised to a soon-to-be King but pulled towards another. Was the serpent pendant similar to how the ill-fated couple was bewitched? How could she possibly know that what she felt for Loki came from her own heart and not from his trickery?
Sigyn had considered leaving the necklace off for some time to see if the effects would linger in its absence, but Thor was certain to ask questions then. She could probably tell him she found it too precious to wear constantly, but no doubt the Crown Prince would take some offence if she did this soon after what had happened a week ago.

A blush always crept up Sigyn's cheeks when she recalled Thor had stayed with her until the middle of the night. They hadn't gone so far that she would consider them to be lovers now, but it had definitely gone far enough. Thor had removed his shirt and stripped Sigyn of her dress, leaving her only in her shift. With only that thin fabric between them, it had been hard for both of them not to give in to yearning.
When Sigyn closed her eyes, she felt Thor's touch again. His lips kissing her lips, throat, and bosom, his hands trailing her body, his hot breath on her skin, only adding to the heat she had felt surging within her. But Sigyn never imagined her betrothed in that recollection. Instead, she envisioned his brother. Loki's lips, Loki's hands, Loki's body...

Oh, in Odin's name, stop! You cannot be thinking of him. You are Thor's betrothed. Not Loki's, but... Thor's. Loki...

"There you are."

Sigyn jumped at a male voice behind her. She turned to find an agitated Loki walking briskly towards her.

"I must speak with you," he said, "right now. Privately."

"What do you—Loki, let go of my wrist!"

"Ssh!" Loki whirled around and slapped his hand across Sigyn's mouth to silence her. "I've discovered something. About your magic."

Sigyn's eyes widened, and she nodded, allowing Loki to lead her from Frigga's garden. He took her to a linen room in a nearby corridor and closed the door after making sure no one saw them go in.

"Forgive me for this," he said, "but I did not believe you would want to discuss this out in the open."

"Just tell me what you've learned," she replied impatiently.

"Sigyn, I have searched every record, every book I could find on the magic that is known to us, from all the Nine Realms. I had hoped to discover something else, but... there's only one type of magic wielder that holds a power such as yours."

Loki exhaled and then looked right into Sigyn's eyes. All of a sudden, she felt that whatever the Prince was about to say couldn't possibly be good news. She read his angst over his face. Even if Loki was the Trickster, he couldn't possibly fake fear like that.