"And your name is? I'm Thor. A-And then the fellow asks, You're Thor? Whereupon Thor says, Well, it hurts!"

The bellowing laughter of the group filled the hall. Thor only chuckled along and glanced at Sif, who sat next to him. She rolled her eyes in amusement. Clearly, they were of the same mind — Volstagg's joke definitely lost its charm when you had already heard it seventy times.

Thor's gaze shifted to 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 whispering to him and miraculously making him smile. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
Whilst Thor still had reservations about Loki taking his wife to Alfheim so soon after all she had gone through, Frigga had assured him it was for the best. 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.

"Don't worry." 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 had now joined 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 had 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 hummed in understanding. He recalled when he took Fandrall to see Sigyn and Loki. His friend had been convinced Astrid had returned to them. Nothing could have prepared him for the terrible truth. Sigyn told Fandrall what Astrid had done and had asked him to forgive her for her death. Fandrall had responded curtly, saying that no forgiveness was needed from him. That, if Astrid truly had been capable of such treachery, she was not the woman he'd believed her to be. He had then sworn his fealty as Sigyn's champion and had kept a regular patrol near her and Loki's chambers in case his Lady needed something in her solitude. 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 my eyes were deceived by the combined magic of Queen Aelsa and Loki," admitted Heimdall with a rigid jaw. "It would appear Loki and Sigyn conjured illusions of themselves, and the Queen kept the magic until today. I have searched through all the Nine Realms, but I cannot find them."

Thor cursed loudly. Damn Loki and his trickery! "Can Mother not find them?"

"Frigga already knew and refuses to say where they have gone." Odin gave an exasperated sigh. "That woman will be the death of me one day, I swear. Regardless, we must act. Lady Sif, I would like you to stand ready to retrieve Loki and Sigyn once we have discovered their whereabouts."

"No, wait," said Thor, raising a hand to stop Sif from leaving. "Father, we must trust Loki and Sigyn did this for a reason. They entrusted Mother with their location, so if needed, she will guide us to them."

Odin gave him an intense look. Then, he beckoned his son near, away from Heimdall and Sif. "I know you wish to respect your brother and sister's wishes after all they have been through. But unfortunately, I cannot let someone as powerful and dangerous as Sigyn wander the Nine Realms freely. We must know where she is at all times."

"Loki is with her. Nothing will occur."

"It is your brother's sole influence on Sigyn that concerns me."

Thor furrowed his brow. He had believed his father to have passed beyond that fear after the wedding.

"Do you know what happened to Astrid?" asked Odin then. "How she died?"

"Not in detail," answered Thor truthfully.

"In her grief and pain, Sigyn released her fire with the sole intention of destroying Astrid for what she did. There was nothing left but ashes."

Thor hung his head, pressing his lips together. He'd expected as much. The way Loki had insisted on letting the matter rest was enough to know Sigyn had most likely been the one to kill her.

"You have seen and experienced first-hand what Sigyn is capable of when she is angered," continued Odin. "You have just learned what she is capable of when she is in pain and when she seeks vengeance. Now imagine what she would do out of love."

"I do not understand. Surely an act of love would be nothing but goodness?" questioned Thor.

"In itself, yes. But how far do you believe your sister will go to protect those she loves? Or worse, if she were to lose a loved-one? If she were to discover even that the man who has always claimed to love her truly holds no such feeling for her? It would not be the first time Loki deceived someone to get what he wants. You must remember, Thor. The girl who drowned herself because of him?"

Thor gave a weary sigh. He didn't recall the girl's name, but he did remember Loki's inexplicable interest in the maiden. It was more or less around the same time he had his brief dalliance with Astrid. And when the girl died, Loki had just... forgotten about her. Thor had always believed Frigga had a hand in that, for she had made him and Odin swear a sacred vow never to speak of the girl in Loki's presence.

"I know you think the world of Loki, Thor," said his father. "But if he is truly up to his trickery to do to Sigyn as he did to that girl, then we must all be vigilant of him. If Loki's true intentions are what we fear them to be and Sigyn learns of this, she will retaliate, and the entire universe will pay the price."

"You did not see Loki upon the battlefield in Nornheim, Father. He fought with his heart, not his mind. He fought for her. Loki would sooner die than hurt Sigyn."

"And if that were to happen? What do you believe Sigyn will do then, hm?"

Thor cast his eyes down, grasping his father's meaning. If something happened to his brother, something sudden and unexpected, Sigyn would spiral down and stop at nothing to be reunited with him. And if Loki's true intentions were revealed as his father feared, and this entire marriage was nothing but a farce, a way for him to possess ultimate power, Sigyn would surely desire revenge on the man who had dared to seek control over her and on everyone who stands in her way. Either way, it seemed it all depended on Loki.

***

"Sigyn, slow down! Where are you going?"

"It's here somewhere, Loki. I know it is."

"What is? Sigyn!"

But Sigyn kept walking deeper into the little town of Tønsberg. Loki hurried after her, knowing it was futile to stop her. She had been restless ever since they'd arrived in the high north of Midgard, a little over two weeks ago. They'd made a quiet home down in a sequestered fjord, quite unreachable for any mere mortal but perfect for those with magic. It should have been perfect. The ideal place to heal and find their way back to each other. But alas, it was not meant to be that easy.
Sigyn had roused Loki from his sleep that first night, claiming she sensed something of enormous power nearby. Loki had scoured the fjord and its surroundings, but found nothing. Still, he knew better than to contradict Sigyn on this, so he'd made sure they were well protected and had put up enchantments and wards. But the strange sensation had kept gnawing at Sigyn. And then... it grew worse.

A week after their arrival, Sigyn had woken up in the middle of the night, crying Loki's name. After he'd calmed her down, she told him she'd watched him die. She had seen Asgard in flames. And she had seen colours. The same colours as the Bifrost, but it was something else. Something that could destroy the entire universe. Something that felt eerily similar to the force she'd sensed before.
Sigyn had barely slept since then. Every time she closed her eyes, she woke up sweating and screaming a few minutes later, holding on to Loki to make sure he was still alive. He kept a constant flow of magic through the serpent pendants to keep Sigyn as calm as possible and in control of her fire. But Loki couldn't keep this up. And after all the pain his wife had already gone through, being plagued by visions of his death was the last thing she needed. So he'd decided there was only one thing to do.

Loki followed Sigyn to an old church in the dead centre of the town. He kept looking out for signs of this strange magic Sigyn kept talking about, but once again, he saw or felt anything. These were just ordinary mortals in an ordinary town who only briefly glanced at the newcomers. But being the Trickster and living the life he led had taught Loki things weren't always as they appeared. If something was strong enough to pull in a fire mage, caution was key.
Making sure no one else followed them in, he closed the door behind him. The church's gloomy interior was lit by only a few candles. Everything was made from stone, even the long, winding staircase. Once Loki's eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he perceived runes and ornate carvings of Odin, Asgard, and the Yggdrasil Tree — or what the Vikings, the warrior race that once inhabited these regions, had believed them to be.

If I recall my history correctly, my father had dealings with these Midgardians after saving them from the Frost Giants. Perhaps there's a remnant of that time hidden here. But if that's the case, why does it only call to Sigyn and not me?

Loki stepped up to a tomb and let his magic course through it to make out what was inside. There was nothing but bones, rags, a sword, and a fine-cut cube of glass or crystal.

Pfft, mortals and their sentimental trinkets.

"Sigyn, are you certain this is where the magic's led you?" He turned back to his wife. "Sigyn?"

Loki looked about the room but couldn't find her anywhere. He reached for the serpents around his neck and focused. Sigyn was still there; he could clearly sense her presence. So why couldn't he see her?

***

Sigyn huffed at her husband when she heard him call. She moved closer to the candles and said, "I'm here. And yes, this is where —"

"Sigyn!" shouted Loki, his voice stricken in panic. "Sigyn, where are you?"

She raised a brow and stepped right in front of Loki. "Right here. What's the matter with you?"

Still, he did not see her. His ice-blue eyes searched the room and saw right through her. His distress grew with every second, and Sigyn sensed he was even searching for her with his magic. She reached out for her husband but could not touch him. Something was keeping her from doing so.

"Loki, I'm right here!" she yelled. "Loki!"

"He cannot hear you."

Sigyn spun on her heels. Before her stood a woman dressed in strange yellowish robes with a peculiar pendant in the shape of an eye around her neck. Her face had sharp features, and her head was completely shaven. There was an air of mystery in her grey eyes, but not the kind that would normally intrigue Sigyn. No, there was something about this woman. Something she did not trust. 

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am known as the Ancient One and Sorcerer Supreme," answered the woman.

"What do you want from me?" Sigyn drew back a little, keeping one eye on Loki to make sure this woman wouldn't harm him.

"To meet you, of course. How often does one encounter a fire mage, after all?"

The serpents around Sigyn's neck came to life in the blink of an eye. They slithered down her arms, flames dancing around their bodies. Their ruby eyes and white fangs glowed dangerously in the fire's light. The Ancient One merely smirked in amusement.
When the snakes dropped to the ground to defend their mistress, they were immediately encased by pieces of see-through stones that folded up from the floor. They hissed and spat embers, their flaming bodies burning brighter than ever, but nothing the serpents did could free them from their prison.

Sigyn did not hesitate and promptly conjured a dagger in her right hand. She threw it with amazing precision at her opponent's heart, but this self-proclaimed Sorcerer Supreme blocked it with surprising ease with a mere wave of her hand, now holding a transparent, golden-edged shield.
As the Asgardian Princess conjured another dagger, she summoned an illusion behind her foe. Sigyn pretended to throw her weapon while her double attacked the Ancient One. But the woman effortlessly dodged the illusion and struck at it, making it fall apart in golden sparkles. 

"You truly are very powerful to wield your magic as such in the Mirror Dimension with no form of training here," she spoke calmly.

"Let me out of here, or I will show you what I am truly capable of!" snapped Sigyn.

"Hm, I believe I get the idea. Now, if you are quite done, we might discuss the real reason you came here."

"No, thank you."

"I assure you, Sigyn, I have nothing but the best intentions."

"Of course you do. Do not take me for a fool, Ancient One. You hide it well, but I sense your powers as clearly as if they were my own. I sense your darkness. And I want no part of it."

The woman in yellow was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered and smiled. "It would seem I underestimated you. You are correct that I possess darkness, but it is not my own. It comes from a being in the Dark Dimension. An entity I must keep in check, which I can only do if I draw power from it. I do not use this darkness unless I am left with no choice, and only ever for the greater good."

"The greater good?" Sigyn scoffed. "Nothing good comes from such power."

"And how often was that same thing said of you?" rebuffed the Ancient One.

Sigyn was struck silent at the truth in those words. She knew Odin himself feared her for the destruction she could bring about if she ever lost control or if her desires drove her down the wrong path. Even now, the Allfather only allowed her to live because she'd become his daughter. Had Frigga never brought her to Asgard, had she never met Loki, Odin wouldn't have hesitated in neutralising a potential threat.
With a deep breath, Sigyn dropped her hands beside her body. The fire snakes grew smaller in their cage. They looked up at Sigyn, waiting for her command to attack or retreat. But Sigyn kept her gaze on this Sorcerer Supreme.

"Why am I here? And where am I? I know the mirror realm, and this is not it."

"Oh, this is not the mirror world you know," replied the Ancient One airily. "Yours is a world — not even that, a gateway, really — of your own making. A creation born of your eagerness to escape the life your family forced upon you. Whereas the Mirror Dimension is a parallel realm to the one we know and inhabit. Everything is the same and yet so very different. In this world, you can shape your surroundings to your own liking, revealing the most extraordinary things."

She extended her arm, revealing a strange-looking golden ring on her finger. As the Ancient One verged her arm up, so too moved the room. The ceiling climbed higher, the floor extended, and the walls collapsed. All but the one with the Yggdrasil Tree.
Sigyn's eyes widened when the roots of the stone Tree wriggled and pulled away. There, buried within, lay a glowing blue cube. Mesmerised, Sigyn stepped closer. This was it. This was what had been calling her. What had haunted her and showed her those terrifying visions. She raised her hand to take it, but jumped back when the roots closed around the cube, hiding it from sight once more.

"What was that?" She turned to face the Ancient One. "That cube, that blue colour... I saw that in my dreams. What does it hold?"

"An Infinity Stone. One of six elemental crystals created in the dawn of time. This one gives the user control over space, granting them the ability to travel wherever they may please. And this one..." She made a slow gesture across her chest and the eye-shaped pendant opened to reveal a green gem. Sigyn was instantly overwhelmed by its power and trembled on her knees. "The Time Stone," continued the Ancient One, unperturbed. "It allows me to tear through the fabric of time, to rewind events I may want to change or to see what is yet to come. To possess one Infinity Stone is to possess one of the greatest powers in the universe. To possess all six is to possess the universe itself."

The pendant holding the green time stone closed itself, and Sigyn felt the power ebbing away. She straightened herself and looked back up at the Ancient One. "Why show me this? What do I have to do with these gems?"

"Everything. You, Sigyn, are one of few who has the strength to wield all six."

"Me? No, that's not... This is a mistake. I scarcely have control over my own fire. What makes you think I can control these Infinity Stones?"

"It is not a question if you can control them, but how you will control them." The Ancient One waved her arm again, and the room returned to its normal state. "The Infinity Stones will one day play a role in a war that will determine the course of this universe. Depending on what you choose to do next, your own role in this war will be determined as well. You wish to relinquish your fire, but you fail to understand that to give that up is to give yourself up. You may feel relieved at first, but in time you will grow desperate to fill its void, and in an attempt to regain it, you will lose everything. That said, if you keep your fire and fail to control your desires, you will become a slave of the force inside you, without a mind, a soul, a heart, even. In both cases, the Infinity Stones will nourish you until you become the monster you fear. An unstoppable Goddess of Chaos."

Sigyn's breath choked. A chill ran down her spine, and she stumbled back. 

No... No, this cannot happen! I cannot... I refuse to become that beast! There must be a way to stop this!

The Ancient One seemed to have read Sigyn's mind as she then grasped her hands and spoke in a firm but gentle tone. "You must let go of your fear, Sigyn. Embrace what comes your way. Know joy and sorrow, life and death. Listen to those who have your interest at heart and teach yourself which desires to embrace and which ones to keep down. If you take this path, you will eventually learn to control your fire and the Infinity Stones. Their essence will become part of you, and you will always be able to use their powers, even if they are destroyed."

"No," whispered Sigyn, shaking her head. "No, I'm not strong enough."

"You are. As long as you remember what and who you fight for."

Sigyn slowly turned her head to her husband. He still searched for her, running up and down the stairs in the dim lights of the church on the other side of the Mirror Dimension. She smiled weakly at the sight of him. Who she fought for... There was only one.
The Ancient One let go of her hands and drew back. She raised her arm, releasing the snakes from their cage. They slithered up Sigyn's body, transforming back into their pendant form.

"Before we part, I must tell you one last thing. Something I urge you to take to heart."

Sigyn groaned silently. What more could there possibly be?

"There is a man whose fate is bound to what you decide to do in the coming years," said the Ancient One. "One currently destined to die in a titanic disaster. You must do all you can to save this man, Sigyn. It is the one desire you can never ignore."

"Who is he?"

"The one with the frozen heart."

The Ancient One flicked her wrist, and suddenly, Sigyn dropped to the stone floor of the Viking church.

"Sigyn!" Loki rushed to her and pulled her up. "Are you all right? What happened?"

But Sigyn was too baffled to reply. She stared ahead, to where the Ancient One had stood mere moments ago, barely hearing Loki's voice, with only one thought on her mind.

Who is the man with the frozen heart?

***

Sigyn wouldn't speak of the Ancient One. She didn't tell Loki of the different paths her life could lead to, nor of the dreadful fate that awaited her should she choose the wrong one. She even kept the existence of the Infinity Stones to herself, believing it unwise for Loki to know of such a power (he was and would always be a Trickster, after all). All she would say was she now knew the best thing to do was to master her fire.

They trained at night when the stars burned brightest, and the world around them slept. The privacy of the fjord gave them endless possibilities to use their magic as they pleased. Still, they would not misuse it. They walked among the mortals, appearing as an ordinary couple. They learned from the Midgardians and lived as they lived. Every day, they explored a little further, going on long rides with their horses and marvelling at the world around them.
In time, Sigyn blossomed again, like a flower that had survived the coldest winter. Her smile returned to her rosy cheeks, and her hair shone like a ruby in the moonlight and like a flame in the sun. She grew stronger with each passing day. Now, if only her husband could see that, too.

One month after leaving Asgard and three months after what had happened to her, and Loki would still not lie with Sigyn. He kept her distracted by taking her places, giving her gifts, and teaching her new magic that then tired her out completely. The few times she got him to respond to her advances, he turned away from her at the last minute, albeit with great reluctance.
Sigyn knew why he wouldn't let it go any further, and she understood and loved him so very much for it. But she wouldn't have it anymore. If she had to let go of her fears, then Loki would have to do the same. Fortunately, when one married the God of Mischief, one learned a couple of his tricks.

***

The sky was lit with warm colours, the sun slowly giving birth to the night. It was nowhere near as beautiful as a sunset on Asgard, but it came close enough. In the distance, a pack of wolves howled at the rising moon above. Soon, the other creatures of the night would come out to play as well.
Loki wondered where his wife was leading him to at this time of day. She'd gone for a walk a little past noon, only to return an hour ago in an excited state. Curious as to what had delighted Sigyn so, Loki had agreed to come with her. But they had been walking for a while now, and his wife still wouldn't tell him where they were going.

"Don't be so impatient." She winked over her shoulder. "You'll see when we get there."

Sigyn guided Loki further away from the woods until they came to the fjord's bank. A frosty glacier flowed down into the lagoon. In the evanescing sun, Loki could still make out a crevasse just below a ridge. He peered curiously at Sigyn, but she just smiled and pulled at his wrist. They entered, the faint cerulean glow of the ice their guide as they walked further in. After a couple of minutes, they came upon a grotto, and Loki's eyes widened.
The moon, having climbed further into the sky, was perfectly aligned with a fissure in the arched frozen ceiling. Silver moonbeams fell through and reflected onto the crystal surface of a small but deep lake, casting shades of aquamarine and azure onto the high walls of ice around the grotto. Never in his life had Loki ever seen something so wonderfully perfect.

"Sigyn... My heart, this is..." Loki's breath caught when Sigyn slipped her dress off her shoulders, revealing her naked body. She released her hairpin in one flawless movement, letting her red locks cascade. "Sigyn... w-what are you doing?"

"You did not think I brought you all the way here just to look at it, did you?" She beamed at him. "Come on. Let's go for a swim."

"You must be joking. The water will be freezing."

"Says the man who barely feels the cold himself."

Sigyn stepped into the water. The ripples around her body made the reflecting moonlight dance on the vaulting ice. She gasped as she went in deeper, and Loki had to avert his gaze. Seeing Sigyn like this, hearing her... it was certain to drive him wild. And that couldn't happen. Not yet.

"You'd best come in, Loki. You know I am not the best swimmer. You wouldn't want anything to happen, would you?"

Loki raised his eyes to his wife to find her waiting for him. Her breasts were not yet fully underwater, her nipples hardened because of the cold. He sighed, no longer able to ignore the Goddess before him.
He quickly discarded all his clothing, leaving them next to Sigyn's, and waded into the water. As he suspected, it was indeed freezing. The icy water tingled at his skin, but not unpleasantly. On the contrary, it felt like... like coming home.
Loki had never understood why, but the cold always came more naturally to him. It was ironic that the woman he was to spend the rest of his life with was a fire mage, and thus the exact opposite of what made him comfortable. Yet, he wouldn't have it any other way. Sigyn was his heart, his soul, his everything. He would never give her up.

"Come, my love," beckoned Sigyn. "I'm waiting."

She swam backwards, teasing the distance between them. But Loki, a far better swimmer, caught up with her in the blink of an eye. Her arms crept around his neck, and Loki was glad the cold temperature slowed his reaction to the sensation of her naked body against his.

"Hold me?"

His hands found the small of Sigyn's back.

"Kiss me?"

His lips found Sigyn's lips.

"Again."

So he did, longer this time. They glided through the water, dancing underneath the ice, until Loki touched a frozen ledge with his back. They parted and took each other in for a moment. The gentle nudge of Sigyn's body against his moved Loki further up on the slope. She leaned in to kiss him again. Her tongue prodded, and against his better judgment, Loki parted his lips. As soon as their kiss deepened, Sigyn pushed herself up to straddle him. It didn't matter they were surrounded by snow and ice; the fire burning inside them, between them, was hot enough to ignite a blazing inferno begging to be quenched. Realising this was going too far, Loki broke away from their kiss. He tried to keep back, but she clung to his shoulders.

"No, no, no," she pleaded. "Loki, please."

"Sigyn, we can't." Loki's heart twisted when he met her emerald eyes. "Not yet. It's still too soon. I will hurt you."

"But you're already hurting me." A tear rolled down Sigyn's cheek. "Has your heart become as frozen as this place? Do you... not want me anymore?"

"Of course I still want you! Sigyn, I will always want you! You are my world, my heart!"

"Then why do you insist on breaking me? Why do you not see how much I ache for you?"

Her hand trailed down Loki's chest, the tip of her fingers caressing him with a fleeting brush. Down, further down. She kissed him, stifling his gasp with her mouth when her hand closed around his member beneath the water's surface.

"S-Sigyn." Loki closed his eyes, doing his best to not make his body react to her touch. "Don't."

"Your mouth says no, but your body screams yes. Do not resist it, Loki. Do not resist me."

She kissed his jawline and neck. Her breasts pressed up against him. Loki hardened in Sigyn's hand as she stroked and held him to her. Even in the water, he felt how slick she was, merely from her own arousal. He pressed his lips together and kept his eyes firmly shut, but her desperate voice was a seduction too hard to ignore.

"Loki, please be with me. I cannot take your refusal any longer. Please, my love, I need you."

Loki's mouth crashed against hers. Sigyn released him and grabbed his face with both hands, parting her lips so their tongues could meet. She moved up on Loki's lap, moaning delightfully in their kiss, and he felt himself get even harder against her. It was no use. He had to have her. 
In one fell swoop, Loki turned them both around. He hoisted Sigyn further out of the water, settling her roughly upon the icy slope. Then, without another moment's thought, he pushed inside her. Sigyn yelped and whimpered, and Loki froze when her body tensed up beneath him. He instantly regretted the forceful action his own desire drove him to.

"I'm all right," said Sigyn hastily at his alarmed expression. "I-It doesn't hurt, I swear."

But Loki shook his head. No, he wouldn't do this. Not if it caused her pain. It was just too soon. He intended to pull out, but Sigyn's hands slipped around his waist to keep him from doing so. She raised her head to whisper in his ear. "You did not hurt me, my love. You only surprised me. Please, Loki, do not pull away from me. I will die if you do. My body has already gone too long without knowing yours. Do not let this torment continue."

Her lips brushed against his cheek. Loki felt her hot breath against him, the burning of her skin, the heat of her desire. He had missed this so much. He had missed her. With one hand, he cupped Sigyn's face and gazed into her bewitching eyes.

"If you feel any pain, any at all —"

"I will tell you, I promise. Loki, please... Just move."

Sigyn's lips found his again. She pulled Loki down with her as she lay back, moaning softly at his slow, tender thrust. Her fingers stroked his back, trailing his skin all the way up until they buried themselves in his messy raven hair. Again, Loki dared to move inside her. Another moan escaped Sigyn when she broke away from their kiss. Her eyelids fluttered, and she arched her back.
Loki scanned his wife's face, and upon noting she truly wasn't in pain, he gave in and started a gradual rhythm. Sigyn gasped at the sudden pacing and pulled her knees up, one foot sliding against Loki's thigh. He felt himself go deeper, and she moved along with him, meeting the same steady tempo. 

Loki slowed at the build-up inside of him. He wanted to make this last, to have Sigyn enjoy this for as long as possible. His hand found her breast. He squeezed her flesh rowdily, the palm of his hand grazing her peaked nipple, drawing a startled, raspy moan from her. Sigyn lifted her knee a little higher, and in the heat of the moment, Loki raised himself and grabbed hold of her leg. He pulled it up to rest on his shoulder, right at the same time he thrust down again, pounding in on that sweet spot inside his wife, which he knew drove her mad.
Sigyn's cry echoed through the grotto. Loki dipped down, taking her plump rosy nipple between his teeth. He bit and suckled, the intensity of his hunger almost drowning out Sigyn's ragged breaths. 

"Oh, don't stop! Loki, please, don't stop! Loki... Loki, do—AAH!"

Their pendants clashed against each other, and their combined magic wrapped the pair up completely. Loki let go of her breast and moved back up to take in Sigyn's face as she unravelled beneath him. Not holding back anymore, he thrust relentlessly in and out. Sigyn met his every motion, swaying her hips like he did until she cried out, surrendering to the ecstasy.
Loki's own release was imminent. More than anything, he wanted to chase his high right over the edge and into Sigyn's heat. But fear once again overtook him. What if she fell pregnant? What if they lost the baby again? What if he lost her? He couldn't let that happen. He had to —

"Fill me, Loki," whispered Sigyn in a husky voice. "Let me carry your child. Let me deliver you your heir."

Loki groaned as her words drove him to the point of no return. His hips jerked violently as his seed spilt inside her. He came to a shuddering stop, panting heavily as he tried to hold himself up over Sigyn. His heart raced wildly in his chest. Norns, the things this woman did to him.
Sigyn stroked his damp hair away to kiss his brow lovingly. Loki raised his head to gaze at her face and caught her beaming at him. He cocked his head curiously.

"What?" he asked. 

"So you can trick the Trickster, after all," she spoke triumphantly. "Had I known you would fall so easily for a few tears and well-chosen words, I would have done this weeks ago."

Loki gawked at Sigyn. Did she just...? He gave a laughing scoff. What a clever wife he had. He should have realised this had been her plan all along. Sigyn had enticed him, using a place she knew he would be at peace in, using her body, tears, and words to get what she wanted. Had it been any other, Loki would have retaliated. But with her, he only felt pride. And such love.
As the Prince of Asgard leaned in to kiss his Princess, he thought, Was there ever a woman more worthy of the God of Mischief?