Loki, despite having had enjoyed his time on Midgard, was relieved to finally be home in his castle. He walked hand in hand with Sigyn as Frigga walked ahead of them. Passersby bowed to the queen as she walked and ogled at the prince with surprise and mixed disgust. The queen introduced the palace to her future daughter in law, and Sigyn took it all in awe. They headed towards Loki's castle, and the prince was intent on showing his girlfriend his rooms, but Frigga wouldn't have it.

"Now those are hardly any manners, Loki. I seem to have lacked in my upbringing."

"It is not you who is at fault, mother," Loki replied, scratching his hair.

"Good. You may prepare for dinner in your rooms. I will have your friend tended to in the guest suite. Don't be late!" Frigga warned and led Sigyn toward her own rooms. Sigyn looked back at Loki, worried, but he assured her his mother would be nice.

Loki was finally in his castle after a very long time. With a grateful sigh, he unpinned his cape and flung it somewhere as he further disrobed on his way to the bathroom. The bath filed with one raise of his hand, and in the next minute, he was reclining against the porcelain tub. A maid came into his room and called out to him, but Loki barely bothered to shout his reply from the bathroom. He examined his body, feeling the soreness of going through the portal; the wounds he got from fighting off Norwegian thugs. All of it went away as he rounded his shoulders and flexed his back. All that remained were the marks of scratches and bites that were proof of the consummation of his relations with Sigyn.

Loki was so deeply immersed in the bath that it took Frigga yelling at his bathroom door to wake him up. He was getting late for dinner with the king of Gods where he had to introduce his human girlfriend.

"My dear boy, you took longer to ready than a human maiden!'' Frigga chided.

"Forgive me mother! I haven't been home for so long. And also there's that frightening confrontation coming up."

"Well, Odin has not yet had the opportunity of conversation with you since your hundred years of imprisonment. It might be fair to assume that he has a couple of unsaid things stowed up that he hasn't had the opportunity for in literally a hundred years!"

"Thanks for boost of courage, mom."

Frigga looked at him disdained.

"My dear you've spent much too lot on Midgard."

"Sigyn thinks so as well," he told as they walked of his room finally.

"Her name is so heavily Nordic, Odin couldn't assume she wasn't an Asgardian."

"I am happy you approve of her, mother."

"Well, you know, as a Nordic Goddess, I'm a little biased towards Northerners."

"Ha! Speaking of Sigyn..."

"Oh yes! She's waiting in the front lounge."

"Well we shouldn't keep our guest waiting."

"Says my prince who took a half hour long bath!"

"Would you rather I sat on your table smelly?"

"Bless you for sparing me... and you."

Without them realizing, they'd reached the front lounge, but it was empty.

"You're sure this is where you left her?" Loki asked as if an inanimate object had moved on its own.

Frigga rolled her eyes. "Yes dear!"

"Lady Sigyn, sweetheart? Are you there?" The queen beckoned.

The room was silent.

"Sigyn?" Loki asked quizzically into the empty room.

This time, there was a scuffle around the corner and both mother and son turned to see Lady Sigyn coming around a corner, tumbling over a decorative table. Her appearance was quite flustered.

"I swear I was just here a second-" she stopped short of her sentence, looking at her hosts trying to stifle their amusement at her expense.

"I'm sorry, but I really promise I didn't go through any doors!"

"I believe you dear. There's so much you need to learn about Asgard." Loki tried.

Sigyn smoothed out her dress and composed herself in front of the queen.

"We were going to dinner, yes?"

"Absolutely! Just waiting for his Highness here to have a bath!" Frigga teased.

"Oh please don't damage his ego! He might run off and try to conquer Atlantis!"

"Well then. My mother and maiden seem to be getting along well without me. I should recognize this as my time to retire then."

Loki turned back but Sigyn grabbed his arm while trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry Loki! Come on, we'll try not to laugh on your expense."

Loki gave her a disbelieving look, but her pout made him tag along.

Sigyn and Frigga stole glances and snickered, and poor Loki resigned to simply rolling his eyes.

The trio arrives in front of two really tall doors, guarded by soldiers. They continued as if Loki hadn't just come back after a long exile, and bowed to the approaching royal duo and pushed the doors in. The mortal human girl stood speechless at the entrance of the gold room. She was sure every inch of it was made of actual pure gold.

"It is." Loki answered her thoughts behind her ear and led her forward.

The dining table was almost a whole football field long, above which hung a long boat carrying a lot of candles and crystals. Psh! Screw the chandeliers of Versailles!

"Intimidating, isn't it?" Jane asked as they reached the table.

"Uhun," was the only thing Sigyn could mutter.

Loki abandoned Sigyn to Jane as he escorted his mother to her seat.

"The children are not eating with you?" Sigyn inquired when she took her seat and Jane sat across from her.

"They usually don't. But very especially not tonight! Thor's tucking them into bed."

Sigyn raised her brows and blew through pursed lips.

"Just remember you love him!" Jane teased as Loki came their way.

"It's that bad?"

"Odin and my tendencies are very perpendicular." He sat down next to Sigyn.

Sigyn looked up at him with an angled face, trying to remind him of her efforts to help him become the better person.

Loki took his seat next to her. "If he were to see me now! Dancing to the tunes of a mortal girl!"

"You wouldn't be his son if you didn't. The Odinsons have a thing to fall for human girls." Frigga said and winked to her human daughter in laws.

There was a noise loud enough to be called thunder and from behind the curtains came the jolly giant God of Thunder. He kissed his wife a quick second before he noticed his audience.

"Is that Loki I see?" He bellowed. "By Odin how life passes when I don't have to babysit or clean up after you!" Loki was soon crushed into a hug to the amusement of his girlfriend.

"And you've brought a maiden with you! How d'you do, fair maiden? I am Thor, God of Thunder!" He took her hand and kissed the top and Sigyn attempted a curtsy.

"Ehem!" Jane and Loki simultaneously cleared their throat.

Sigyn giggled and introduced herself as Thor resigned himself to the seat next to Jane and downed half the chalice in one sip.

The young couple and Frigga tangled in light conversation when with fanfare, the doors drew in again and Sigyn followed everyone's lead to stand at the arrival of the King.

"Be seated, my family." Odin said as he took the seat at the head of the table.

His attention went to Loki and he looked with raised brows.

"Welcome back, Loki." Frigga touched her husband's hand to keep him from saying anything unwelcoming.

Odin turned his head to Sigyn.

"Your introduction, my dear?"

"I'm Sigyn, your Highness. Of Norway."

"Your father?"

Loki's hand immediately placed itself on Sigyn's, but she cleared her throat and continued.

"The Duke of Fjord, sir."

"Ah, Bjorn. He had no trouble with Loki?"

Loki rolled his eyes and everyone sighed.

"I haven't been in my father's court for years. I'm not welcome in his family."

"That's unfortunate. But I offer you a warm welcome to Asgard."

"Thank you, your Highness."

"Let's not wait longer, now let's dine!"

The beginning of dinner consisted of light conversation between the two young couples while the king and Queen stayed to themselves, though Frigga cut in a couple times to talk with Sigyn.

As the dinner ended, thick silence covered the table as everyone braced for the impending conversation. Odin waited till the tables were cleared before he spoke. Everyone turned their attention to him when he tapped his staff.

"My daughters, I thank you for your company at dinner, but now I ask you may retire for the evening. My sons and I have much to discuss."

Jane immediately stood and left after a curtsy.

Sigyn stuttered a bit. She placed her hand on Loki's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"Remember what we practiced. Don't let me down!" She winked at Loki and curtsied to the royals, then quickly made her exit. She found Jane waiting for her.

"Well that alone was stressful! I wonder what's going to happen later!"

Jane placed her hand on Sigyn's arm and led her down the hall.

"Brace yourself. Odin has to be calm and composed. He's the king... and the parent. Thor doesn't take anything to heart, but thankfully things stick in his mind now. But Loki... tends to simmer."

"Like an entitled teen!" Sigyn joked.

Jane laughed and the girls talked about everything from the wardrobe to the change of venue. All till they were interrupted by a maid in waiting.

"Lady Thor! The little prince is in no mood to sleep!" The maid said. Her disheveled appearance told the horrors she had been through.

"You may bring him to me. We will be in the north mezzanine." Jane took Sigyn there and the new human was in awe of the golden city.

The maid found them soon and handed the baby over to his mother.

"Hi Modi!" Jane cooed to her son as she held him up. "Are you giving your nannies trouble? You wanted mommy, didn't you?!" Jane kissed and turned the baby so he could see his kingdom.

"I don't mean to offend, but he is a very healthy baby!" Sigyn stuttered as she stroked Modi's velvety arm.

"Well for sure! Have you seen Thor!?"

Sigyn blushed and cleared her threat as Jane laughed at her plight.

"Things must have been... painful?"

"Yeah. But you know. It is... what it is. But thankfully I didn't have to birth either baby naturally. Frigga recognized I wouldn't be able to, pretty early on."

"Good for you!"

"Uhun! Grandma's a good mother in law!" Jane replied to Sigyn but was talking to Modi.

"From what I've heard, frost giants aren't big in bulk. But they are tall and, frosty!"

"Certainly true!" Sigyn agreed and after a quick second of silence, the girls burst into laughter.

They talked more and Sigyn played with Modi some and then there was a loud door slamming

"I guess the conversation's over."

They saw Loki storm down a hall below the mezzanine, and Sigyn handed Modi back to Jane to go deal with her big baby.

Despite the long dress, Sigyn quickly caught up to Frigga chasing after Loki.

"Loki!" Sigyn yelled as they neared his castle and he finally stopped.

"Did you remember what we practiced love? Just try to be calm."

The blue face and red eyes startled Sigyn as Loki spun around fast.

"I was calm! He was the one being irrational! I could change so much, even fall for a mewling human and he still treats me like before."

"Well from where I stand, you two aren't quite so different!" Sigyn yelled back, offended.

"Well if you like to take his side so much, then GO CHASING AFTER HIM!! Leave me alone!" He went inside and slammed the door. After the mystical green vapor cleared, there appeared to be no door to Loki's castle.

Frigga, who was standing aside silently watching the confrontation, came and comforted Sigyn.

"Leave him be, love. He'll be fine by the morning, or two. Let me take you to your room."

With one long last look towards Loki's castle, Sigyn let Frigga take her away.

So much for trying to change.

Frigga attempted to sooth Sigyn's mind but eventually left her alone in the guest room. Sigyn walked through the room and found a full walk in wardrobe from which she chose a silk nightgown to sleep in. It took her some time to step out of the outfit she was wearing, it had taken two maids to get her in to it. After changing into the nightie, Sigyn found herself sitting on a bench across the dresser, choosing one of the combs and brushes to brush her hair with after she undid the hairstyle.

Stupid Royals! Stupid courts! She definitely did not want to find herself back in a castle. Not on earth, certainly not in another freaking realm! And where was the one person who had dragged her here? The one person she was here for? He was throwing a hissy fit locking himself in his room. Freaking teenager, he was! Centuries old my foot!

Sigyn grew frustrated by her thoughts and the tangles in her hair and slammed the brush onto the dresser. She pushed off with a huff and decided to escape her confinement by taking a walk. Valhalla truly was the palace of palaces, too bad her past made her disdained towards such places. Sigyn pushed away upsetting thoughts and chose to make the better of her situation. I mean, how many people get to be where she is, alive? She turned her head to the ceiling and was amazed by the stein glass. It all told various stories of what she assumed was Asgard's past. That was what she was doing, walking looking up at the portraits when she bumped into someone.

"I am so sorry, I wasn't looking ahead." She put her hands out in front of her, trying to reach for her accidental victim.

"Mind your wa-" the man stopped mid sentence to look at her.
"You're that girl, hunh? Loki's human?" He said with an evil grin.

"Excuse me! I am not anyone's human!" She scoffed, remembering her argument with Loki.

"And, are you allowed to call your prince so informally?"

"That asshole is no prince of mine!" The soldier spitefully growled at her.

"Let me guess, he 'wronged' you somehow, hurt you, and now you hate him with a passion," Sigyn threw her hands up and rolled her eyes.

"He took my father's life, and he'll pay with his!" he pointed his finger close to her nose that she had to step back.

"I'm sorry, do I look like a tall dude, black hair, green outfit?" Sigyn described him with her hand gestures as she walked circles in her place. "Why is it green anyway? I mean shouldn't it be blue, considering he's...oh never mind. Go take your anger out on him." she resigned.

"Sure!" He said sarcastically, and as she walked away, he pulled her back by her hair and slammed her against the wall, dragging her up by her throat.

"L-let go ooghf me!!" She tried with both her hands to pull his off her, but he was stronger than her, just like every other Asgardian.

"What I've learned of these princes, is that whenever they have a human, they're their greatest weakness! And you're the Jotun's. Should 'prince' Loki deny it all he wants."

She was about to kick him in the middle when he pressed himself harsh against her. His hands constricted tightly on her throat, but she felt stings of pain in her abdomen, and suddenly a cold ran through her. Obviously her assailant had felt it too and released her, letting her fall to the ground. She crunched her body, squeezing her stomach as the pain became unbearable. She looked up to find the guard bringing his sword down on her and she quickly turned her gaze to the floor, but rather than feeling it, there was suddenly a cold dust around her, and she looked up to see him falling down next to her, frozen solid. As the ice shards flew everywhere, she saw an angry, blue faced Loki standing behind where the guard had, and she let herself fall back, everything fading to black.