"Where is everyone?"

Sigyn jolted up from her hunched position over the dining table. A raven-haired woman stood at the bottom of the stairs, one hand still on the bannister. Her mind took a little too long to connect the petite figure to her spouse. Were it not for Loki's ice-blue eyes resting on her as he waited for a reply, Sigyn's fatigue would've surely made her demand what this stranger was doing in her home.

"Fandrall is tending to the horses," she replied, "and Rúna went to get water."

"You didn't come to bed," remarked Loki, finally moving towards her. "Did you even sleep?"

"Not really," admitted Sigyn, rubbing the sleep from her eye. "I didn't want to take any chances with the Olympians."

"Eros won't have told anyone what happened. He knows as well as I do we can't afford another war."

"And Hermes?"

Sigyn scrutinised Loki's body language. Her husband sat slowly, eyes cast down and a grimace on that beautiful face. She well recalled the way he'd stopped her from killing his former lover. Part of her was grateful he had done so. But the desire to burn that son of a bitch alive still simmered within her. And Loki knew it.
The attack on Hermes had fractured something between them. The darkness slumbering within Sigyn had clashed with Loki's agony and insecurities. For over thirty years, Sigyn hadn't seen the apprehension in her beloved's eyes... until last night.

"I'm sorry," she spoke reluctantly. "I know I shouldn't have attacked Hermes. Him being here... it was just the final straw."

"I appreciate your apology," said Loki, "but it's unnecessary. Hermes needed to be taught a lesson, and if I still had access to my powers, I would have done it myself."

"Still, I shouldn't have lost my temper and control that way. But when I heard your screams and felt your pain... He already hurt you so much in the past, and he dared to do it again now."

"He didn't hurt me."

"Don't make light of what happened, Loki."

"I'm not. Hermes was trying to calm me down."

"By forcing himself on you?"

"No, he just... I've known Hermes a lot longer than you, Sigyn. He's not like that."

She couldn't help but scoff. "Tell that to the mortals who fell victim to him and wrote the stories."

"Those are often greatly exaggerated," said Loki with a roll of his eyes. "You wouldn't believe some of the things they've written about me."

"Often," noted Sigyn, "but not always."

"Sigyn, can we please stop discussing this? Hermes won't bother us again. You've made sure of that, and Eros is one of the few Olympians I actually trust. He'll keep Hermes in check."

Frustrated, Sigyn averted with a huff. She pinched her lips and crossed her arms. Loki heaved a sigh, but she didn't react. She didn't even glimpse at him. For the first time in their marriage, Sigyn felt annoyed she didn't know more of Loki's past. She'd never made a fuss about him keeping things private and had always respected that. But these last weeks, ever since she'd learned of Loki's involvement with someone as dangerous as Mephisto, she'd begun to second-guess that decision. Her husband's secrets were threatening not only him, but her as well.

Aphrodite's curse is perhaps a blessing in disguise, pondered Sigyn. Loki will have no choice but to speak to me. Only... what if I don't hold his trust the way he holds mine? Would the truth of his past be so terrible he would rather spend the rest of his life without magic and in this form than to confide in me?

The sudden sound of laughter permeated through the pregnant silence. Sigyn turned her head at the joyous noise. Fandrall and Rúna strolled into the cottage, their faces lit in absolute bliss. Seeing her champion and handmaiden so enamoured with each other should have gladdened Sigyn. Instead, she felt a pang of jealousy and resentment. 
It wasn't so very long ago she and Loki had experienced such happiness. Why did theirs have to be ripped away time and time again while others were rewarded with the prospect of a bright future? The unfairness of it all nudged Sigyn's darkness a little closer to the surface. And by the looks of Loki's apprehensive expression, he had his own thoughts about seeing his ward and brother's friend together.

"What's this?" he demanded.

"Good morning to you too, Loki. This," Fandrall put a pail on the table, "is water."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Loki, don't." Sigyn tensed at the threatening glare he threw at the blond warrior.

Rúna hastily stepped forward. "My Lord, if you'll permit —"

"My Lady." 

The sudden silence cut through the uneasy atmosphere like a knife. All eyes settled on Loki, who — sternly but calmy — continued, "As long as I am in this form, I wish to be addressed as female. Please refrain from calling me Lord from now on. Lady or Princess Loki will suffice."

The handmaiden and warrior started at this. Their awkward gaze shifted to Sigyn, who sat frozen in her seat. She reached out to Loki through their mind-link, but it was... not gone, but closed off. As if something was blocking her. It was only now that Sigyn realised she hadn't heard even an inkling of Loki's thoughts slipping to her since Olympus. Was it because of Aphrodite's magic? Or was it Loki's doing?
Weary of the uncomfortable silence, Sigyn nodded her agreement. Both Hermes and Eros had warned her Loki might prefer this. And she herself had said it didn't matter to her. She wouldn't deny her own words now.

"Do as h—she says," she corrected herself. 

"Thank you," said Loki. "Take a seat now. There are several more matters we need to discuss."

Rúna and Fandrall quietly did as she asked, sitting opposite each other. Sigyn perceived the faint brush of her handmaiden's leg against her and drew some comfort from it. Whatever would come, she knew the girl wouldn't abandon her. 

"First," started Loki, "nobody is to speak of what happened at Olympus, under any circumstance. I don't want anyone in Asgard finding out, so keep your mouths shut. Understood?"

Sigyn gritted her teeth. Her husband... no, her wife's abject refusal to speak to Frigga vexed her beyond measure. She was certain the Queen could help and wouldn't mind what Loki looked like now. But she knew first-hand when Loki got an idea into his... her head, it was near impossible to dissuade her from it. 

"Second," continued Loki, "now we're one sorcerer down, it's of the utmost importance we remain vigilant. We must prepare ourselves for anything. Sigyn, I'd ask that you instruct Rúna. Teach her archery and sword fighting. Meanwhile Fandrall, you —"

"Fandrall can instruct Rúna," interjected Sigyn.

"I'm asking you to do it."

"And I'm telling you, Fandrall should. Of the four of us, he's the best with the sword, anyway, and he stands almost equal to our own skill with the bow. And you've just said yourself we're down one sorcerer. Or do you really want me to focus all my time on Rúna now I'm the only one who can defend us against magic?"

A snarl. That's what she got in return. Loki had never snarled at Sigyn, not once in thirty years. They'd argued, of course, for what couple didn't? But this already went much deeper than any mere marital dispute. Sigyn wouldn't allow Loki's actions to put them in harm's way, nor would she allow him... no, her, to stand in Rúna and Fandrall's way if they were truly intent on pursuing their relation further. 

"Very well," said Loki then. "But Fandrall needs to join me on an errand first."

"Errand?" Sigyn raised a brow, her alarm growing by the minute. "What sort of —?"

"Norns, will you stop questioning everything I say for two seconds?"

A slap to the face would've been kinder. Sigyn looked at the raven-haired woman across from her, her gaze wide in shock at that crass outburst. Loki's nostrils flared, and her icy eyes shot daggers. She was really angry... at her.
Slowly, Sigyn pushed herself away from the table and got up. She took her cloak from the hanger by the door. A chair scraped loudly against the floor, but she paid it no heed. Whoever was getting up to make her stay would find their attempts futile. She opened the door, yet lingered for the briefest moment, hoping that perhaps it might've been Loki, coming to apologise and asking her to stay. She might consider it then. But no one came. With tears in her eyes, Sigyn left, feeling as she once had — utterly alone.

***

By the time Loki and Fandrall departed on horse-back, the sun had already risen to its peak over the high north of Midgard. The warmth did very little to lighten Loki's mood. She kept replaying the last twenty-four hours through her mind. Olympus, Hermes, Sigyn... Damn Thor for ever having gone to Freya. Whatever she'd asked in return for this 'favour', Loki hoped he'd suffer. 

"Any chance my Lady would be so kind as to share our destination?" asked Fandrall behind her. 

"Vanaheim," replied Loki curtly.

"Vanaheim? Why did we not call upon Heimdall and the Bifrost then? We could've already been back by now."

"Was I not clear before? I don't want anyone to know I'm stuck like this."

"Heimdall sees all, Loki. What makes you think he doesn't already know what happened?"

Loki's grip on the reins tightened. No, she couldn't allow Fandrall's words to shake her. Sigyn had cast an illusion and shield over him to fool Heimdall upon their return from Olympus. She had to believe it had done the trick. Heimdall never invaded a person's private home with his gaze, so he couldn't have seen what had happened the night before, nor that morning. And the odds of him looking at them in this exact moment when he had all the Nine Realms to watch were astronomical. 

"If Heimdall had seen something amiss, my family would've come by now," said Loki, more to convince herself than Fandrall. "Or they would've sent someone. The fact they haven't means they don't know yet. If we move quickly, they never will."

"Would it truly be so bad if they did?" questioned Fandrall. "This isn't something you did to yourself. Surely the Allfather and Queen can help in understanding and countering Aphrodite's curse."

"We are not going to Asgard, so don't suggest it again. You sound just like Sigyn."

"I consider that a compliment."

Loki halted her black palfrey with a harsh tug on the reins. The noble beast neighed indignantly and threw its head up, manes sweeping in Loki's face. She turned the horse around to face Fandrall and spat, "If you have something to say, then say it."

The blond warrior pinched his lips. He huffed and straightened in his saddle. "Very well. You shouldn't have treated Lady Sigyn that way. She was only trying to help."

"How I speak to my wife is none of your concern."

"It is if you speak to her like that in front of me! Norns' sake, Loki, what were you thinking? I know you're going through a lot right now, and I cannot possibly fathom how you're holding onto your sanity, but you're not the only one suffering."

"Suffering?" Loki bristled. "Sigyn isn't the one who got forced into another form and got stripped of her powers! She isn't the one who died and got her soul trapped and tortured by a demon! She isn't the one who got used and betrayed!"

"No, she's just the one who witnessed your agony like you were driven to witness hers thirty years ago!"

At this, Loki drew back. She stared Fandrall down — or up, as she was a full head shorter now than him, even when mounted atop her horse. He sighed at her flustered, pink-cheeked expression and shook his head. "Have you truly forgotten? What you felt when you believed you'd lost Lady Sigyn at the hands of her mother? What she did when you got her back?"

 She swallowed. No, she hadn't forgotten. Those memories yet haunted Loki, now more than ever. But it wasn't the same... was it?

"You can't compare the two," she tried weakly.

"Can't I?" questioned Fandrall sadly. "Will you truly deny history repeated itself? Deny it's even worse now, in the cruelest way imaginable? Lady Sigyn didn't just lose you that day, Loki, but your child as well. Another child, and only because she chose to save you. Do you not see she blames herself for that? That she blames herself for Olympus, too? For not having been strong or powerful enough to find another way to save and keep her family?"

Loki averted, her fingers clutching the reins until her knuckles turned white. Sigyn wasn't to blame. For anything. She would've done everything Sigyn had done and more. She wouldn't have struck a deal with Mephisto, but destroyed him and his domain. And oh, she would've eviscerated and skinned Hermes alive, displaying his bloodied remains for all of Olympus as a warning never to threaten any Asgardian again. The only reason she hadn't was because of Sigyn. To protect her. 
Loki didn't want her wife to become part of the world she'd tried to escape and forget. But the past was catching up to her. Mephisto was only one of many, yet there was nothing Loki could do. She had to stay her hand for Sigyn, to keep her wife safe from her own darkness, from the darkness that had once claimed Loki herself and yet held her in its unrelenting grasp. Last night's events had only fortified that resolve.

Quietly, Loki turned her palfrey back around to continue on their way. She didn't care if Fandrall came with her; she could do this errand on her own if needed. But the warrior surprised her by spurring his horse beside hers and speaking kindly to her. "You're frightened. Don't deny it, for I recognise the look. Whatever your worries are, share them with Sigyn."

"I can't," said Loki with a heavy sigh. "Some burdens must be carried alone."

"Would you allow Sigyn to speak like that if the roles were reversed?"

"I would respect her decision, as I have in the past. Is it truly too much to ask for the same?"

"No, of course not. But you must tell her this. She will understand and support you, either way."

"How do you know?" questioned Loki, looking up at her companion. "Because she loves me? Love isn't always enough, Fandrall. It's not always the answer to everything. It can also be the very cause of your grieve. Trust me, I... I've been through it. And that is all I will say about it, so please can we either talk of something else or continue in silence?"

Loki hastily turned her attention back to the road. She hoped Fandrall wouldn't try to pursue the matter further. He was the most tenacious of the Warriors Three. But fortunately for him, he wisely relented to Loki's request and instead asked, "What's in Vanaheim?"

"Supplies," she answered. 

"Magical supplies?"

"Amongst others, yes." She caught the slight raise of Fandrall's brow and huffed in annoyance. "I have a secret cache in Vanaheim where I keep everything I need when I'm in this form, all right? This isn't the first time I'm female. I admit it, you caught me."

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh, please. As if you and the others wouldn't have laughed at me for willingly choosing this form."

"I cannot speak for the others, but I wouldn't have," said Fandrall earnestly. "Truly, Loki, I couldn't care less if you were male or female. I'm not interested in you romantically, so it matters nothing to me in that regard. I've fought with and against both men and women, thus from a warrior's point of view, there's no distinction either. You're a... companion in arms, and I've witnessed first-hand there is more to you than meets the eye on several occasions. Besides, gender doesn't define your person. You do."

Loki didn't know what to say. She'd always seen Hogun as the wisest among Thor's band of misfits, yet now found the youngest and most dashing among them to rival said wisdom. If Fandrall had shown this side of him more often, Loki might have actually considered him worthy of conversation. He might've even become her friend instead of Thor's. Perhaps they still might. 

"Rúna could do a lot worse than you," Loki said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Oh? Does that mean we have your blessing?" asked Fandrall hopefully.

"When I say she can do worse, I'm indirectly implying she can do better as well." Fandrall's glee fell at those words. Loki tsk-ed and rolled her eyes at him. "Odin's name, yes, all right, you have my permission to court my ward. But only if you officially ask Sigyn's approval as well, and after I've spoken with Rúna. I gave Sigyn my word, and I won't have you two fools rushing in. Oh, and don't even think about taking her to your bed before she's ready and willing, else you'll have me and Sigyn to deal with. Understood?"

"Yes, perfectly," said Fandrall, a grin brightening his face. "Thank you, my Lo—my Lady."

Loki cringed at the honorary. It'd been decades since anyone had called her that, and even though she'd asked to be addressed as such, she needed to get used to it again. Norns only knew how long she'd be stuck in this forsaken form. 

***

Grey clouds drifted overhead, blocking the sun's radiance. The trees loomed over the Asgardian Princess like giants. Had she yet been a child, she would've feared them. Instead, Sigyn scowled at them over her shoulder, irritated at the manner in which they tried to threaten. One flick of her wrist and they would all burn. But the trees were just trees. And they weren't the true object of her distress.
Furiously, Sigyn rubbed the back of her hand against her cheek, frustrated at her tears. At her weakness. Why had she just run away from her home like a coward the moment Loki had raised his voice at her? 

Her voice...

With a grunt, Sigyn kicked the pebbles at her feet. Some rolled down the slope, straight into the water below. A fish hastily swam away. Smart little thing. It knew it shouldn't be anywhere near a fire mage. Not when said mage was so close to bursting out. In what, though, she couldn't say.
It'd been decades since Sigyn had felt like this. Her first recollection was Thor and his idiot remarks at the training grounds, but even that didn't quite compare. No, this went deeper, touching on the trauma she'd buried long ago. Her mother belittling and locking her away. Ivar and Thorin hurting her, jeering at her. She'd felt powerless then, and she felt powerless now. Never had she imagined Loki would be the one to make her feel like this.

A twig cracked behind her. Sigyn paid it no heed. She knew Rúna was following her. The girl was smart enough to do so at a distance, though Sigyn couldn't tell if she did so out of respect or fear. She supposed it was the first. Had Rúna truly been afraid, she wouldn't have come after her, especially since she knew what had befallen her predecessor. For this reason alone, did Sigyn tolerate Rúna's presence now.

A bird sang overhead. Leaves rustled. The calm quiet should've alleviated Sigyn, but they only added to her distress. She was restless, walking without purpose, hoping for... what, exactly? A miracle? A remedy? Something?
The urge to seek Loki out crawled underneath Sigyn's skin. She wanted to hold and kiss her lover. Wanted to feel that glorious, cool body against her own, fuelling her heat with a mere caress and get lost in their passion and forget everything, even if only for a moment. Loki was good at making her forget about her troubles. Her spouse was her haven. So why wasn't she his?

Hers, damn it all!

The glacier before her forced Sigyn to a complete stop. Her feet had led her straight to where she and Loki had so often gone to lose themselves in one another. Not that they hadn't made love in the comfort and warmth of their bed in the cottage. There was just... something about those icy waters that had drawn them in. For Sigyn, it had always been the relief of sensing something other than her own body's heart. But for Loki... Loki had come alive in those moments, and not just because it'd been just the two of them.

Maybe I should ask Loki to join me here after all. It might help with... whatever she needs.

Hesitant footsteps edged nearer. Sigyn turned to meet Rúna's cautious gaze. She sighed and beckoned the girl closer. Rúna rushed into her open arms. The hug provided more comfort than Sigyn could have hoped for.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You're too young to be drawn into all of this."

"It is I who's sorry, Lady Sigyn," said Rúna. "You don't deserve all this suffering. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Don't betray me. That's all I ask."

"Never. I promise."

When they parted, Sigyn felt some of the weight lift off her shoulders. She offered Rúna a weak smile and hooked their arms. Now that it was just the two of them, Sigyn thought it the opportune moment to speak to Rúna about what she'd seen the night before. Norns knew she needed to distract herself, even if just for a few minutes.

"I have a confession," she began. "I caught you and Fandrall last night. Am I right to assume you decided on answering his love?"

Rúna's cheeks instantly coloured cherry. "F-Forgive me, Lady Sigyn. I just... With everyone that happened, with how the Norns do as they please in changing our fates, I didn't want to risk losing him. Either by death or another's affection."

"I understand that. Believe me, I do. Seeing you with him just came as a surprise, considering how hesitant you were before."

"I'm still hesitant. I wanted to ask you and... Lady Loki permission first, but I haven't had the chance yet. Fandrall has agreed to wait until we've spoken to you both. When things settle a bit, that is."

"I fear that won't be for some time," said Sigyn wearily. "But it doesn't matter. I have no say to whom you give your heart to, Rúna. If you have feelings for Fandrall, and he for you, I will not stand in the way of that. And neither will Loki."

"Do you truly believe she will agree to Fandrall courting me?"

"He... sorry, she might pose some conditions, and she'll definitely be watching you both, but yes, she'll allow it. Loki may not seem it, but she's a romantic at heart. She'll never come between two people who truly love each other."

Rúna gave a light hum in reply. Her grip on Sigyn's arm tightened a little. "Lady Loki will come to you, Lady Sigyn. I'm certain of it. She merely needs time."

Sigyn pressed her lips together. She didn't fear her and Loki being out of time. Time was but a concept in the lives of those blessed with longevity. Her fear lay deeper, gripping her even more with every breath and every heartbeat. But she wouldn't share that with Rúna. Not until she spoke to Loki.

The Princess and her handmaiden walked back home in silence. Once they arrived at the cottage, finding Loki and Fandrall still absent, they ate something and set about to keep themselves occupied. Not much needed to be done, so Sigyn called Rúna outside to commence her archery training. She figured to compromise and do that herself, so Fandrall could fully focus on ensuring Rúna mastered the sword.
As the girl shot arrow after arrow, often missing the target Sigyn had drawn on the tree completely, Sigyn did some training of her own. She attempted to retrieve the arrows by summoning them back to her hand, but unlike Loki, her telekinetic powers were still rudimentary. Her desires manifested in many forms, but evidently not in developing new powers. Eventually, she resorted to letting her serpents play fetch, while she controlled the flames from their fiery bodies so as not to burn their surroundings.

They trained as such until well past sunset, content to develop their skills in silence. When they retired to make dinner, both women cast glances at the forest path, eagerly awaiting Fandrall and Loki, but there was no sign of them anywhere. Sigyn tried to keep her unease down, for her own sake and Rúna's. There was no need to panic just yet. With or without powers, Loki was still a formidable fighter, swift and deadly with her daggers. And Fandrall wouldn't allow anything to happen.

"Lady Sigyn."

Sigyn raised her head when Rúna called her name. She dropped everything when she caught the two riders through the window and hurried outside, with Rúna following close behind. Her heart stilled at the sight of the raven-haired woman atop the black palfrey. Even in this form, Loki still took her breath away.
Fandrall quickly descended from his own mount to then offer a helping hand to Loki. She accepted with a roll of her eyes. Sigyn almost chuckled at the interaction. But when Loki next passed her without a word or without even giving her as much as a single glance, any joy Sigyn had evaporated. Her jaw clenched as her fists balled. If Loki believed she was going to come after her with that sort of treatment, she had another thing coming. 

"Rúna, please inform Loki that dinner will be ready soon and that I expect her to eat with us."

Sigyn ignored the hesitant glance exchanged between her handmaiden and Fandrall and went straight back to the kitchen, where she made an unnecessary amount of noise by wildly moving about the pots and pans. She didn't look back when Rúna hurried upstairs, nor did she look out the window to check if Fandrall was stabling the horses. She didn't even eye the bulging satchels he had put on the ground. What finally caught her attention was the one pair of footsteps coming down the stairs. 

"Well?" she demanded when Rúna halted at the bottom. "Is she coming?"

"Um... N-No," replied Rúna, her voice quivering lightly.

"What?"

"She... said she wasn't hungry."

Sigyn paid no heed to the frightened squeal Rúna uttered as she darted past the handmaiden. She stomped up the stairs and threw the bedroom open, next slamming it shut with a loud bang. Loki was seated at the vanity, her cloak draped over the mirror and her satchel in her lap, and didn't even look up to acknowledge Sigyn's presence. As if she'd already been expecting the brewing storm and simply didn't care.

"Why aren't you coming down for dinner?" demanded Sigyn. 

"I'm not hungry," said Loki.

"After a day on horseback and Norns only know what else, I find that very hard to believe."

"Believe what you like. I'm still not coming down."

Sigyn bit her lip to keep in her retort. Inside, she was absolutely fuming. She understood perfectly well Loki was going through hell right now, but that still didn't give her the right to be so crude.

"Will you at the very least tell me where you went?" asked Sigyn through gritted teeth. 

"I had to get some things from my stash in Vanaheim," answered Loki, as she continued rummaging through her satchel

"Vanaheim? How did you get there if you didn't use the Bifrost?"

"I have my ways."

"What ways?"

"I'm not obliged to tell you everything I know or do, Sigyn. Now please leave."

Again, Sigyn's fire nearly burst out of her. The urge to lunge and claw Loki's eyes out was eating at her, but she was quick to push it down. Arguing more wouldn't make Loki see she was only worried and trying to help. So instead, she approached Loki and sat on her knees beside the stool she sat on. She reached for Loki's hand, but the raven pulled away before they could touch.

"Loki, please," said Sigyn in a small voice. "Please don't shut me out."

"So it's okay for you to shut me out when you need some alone-time, but it's a problem when I do it?" 

"I didn't say that."

"Then why do you act like it is?" Loki finally faced Sigyn with a scowl. "Why is it so hard for you to let me come to terms with what's happening in my own way?"

"I just want to help!" she exclaimed.

"Help? By doing what? How exactly will you help, Sigyn? Those words are easy for you to say. You just say them out of sympathy, but it changes nothing in the end. I have no interest in sharing any of this with you or having you near me, so for once, just do as I ask and leave me alone!"

Sigyn stared at Loki, horrified by the way she spoke to her. Even her flame seemed perplexed and merely tingled underneath her skin, not quite letting go but not surging in anger either. She swallowed hard, feeling an unbearable lump in her throat, and inclined her head in defeat. 

"All right." The words came out in a broken whisper. "Do you... prefer me to sleep with Rúna for the time being?"

"I do."

Loki's immediate response came as another devastated blow to Sigyn's being. She gave an almost indiscernible nod and rose to her feet. Her body moved on its own, her hand taking a few things from the vanity and then plucking some clothes from the wardrobe. All the while, she felt Loki's eyes on her. Did her wife expect her to fight back and beg to stay? Or was she simply watching to ensure Sigyn really left?
With her arms full, Sigyn finally made her way to the bedroom door. She lingered, glancing back at Loki over her shoulder. This was the last chance. The final chance to make her stay. But Loki remained stone-faced.

"I'll... I'll leave something for you to eat when you're hungry," said Sigyn. 

"Fine," responded Loki. 

"If you need anything... we're right outside."

"Duly noted."

"Good night."

"Hm."

Sigyn felt the next words burning on her lips. More than anything did she want to speak them. But the fear of not hearing them back, or worse, having Loki reject them, kept her from opening her mouth. Instead, she hoped there was still some connection between her and Loki. Some part of herself that would reach her wife and assure her of the one thing Sigyn desperately needed her to know. 

I love you, Loki. Now and far longer than forever.