His Queen | Book 1

Fifteen: Sigvard the Tainted

She walks with a smile teasing the corners of her lips, blush on her cheeks, and thoughts filled with nought but joy. Each sentence of Loki's poem looped through her mind like lovers intertwined. Sigyn finds her handmaidens waiting outside and they escort her back through the palace. They giggled and asked what Prince Loki showed Sigyn, and when she smiled and said, "Oh, just a book."

"Our fathers tell us to stay away from Prince Loki." One said, a grim smile on her lips.

"We have served the palace for decades. We all know the mischief he gets up to." Giggled the other.

"Not even the blind will say Prince Loki is not handsome." the third one swooned.

Helga, who the eldest of the three, fell into step with Princess Sigyn. "What are your thoughts, Princess Sigyn?" she asked, curiously.

Sigyn looks from her daydream. "On what?" she asked.

"Prince Loki." the three handmaidens turned to giggling and sheepish whispering.

The blush on Sigyn's cheeks deepened. "Well," she said, smiling at the golden ground where she walked. "He is handsome and mysterious." The three handmaidens squealed with excitement. "What more can I say?" she laughed.

The girlish giggling and laughing quickly turned silent. Like a cloud of haze that dampened the halls they walked, Sigvard revealed himself. He strided as if he knew something you didn't. His perfect blue eyes that captured the very essence of the skies in its clearest times glanced over his sister and her handmaidens in such a way that Sigyn's handmaidens turned to give each other a look.

(The handsome silver prince, they call him.)

"The squeamish giggles of girls always puts a stops to my heart." he says. His eyes stopping on Helga at Sigyn's left.

"Oh, don't terrify them." scolded Sigyn, a smile wider than usual on her face.

"What has you all laughing and red like this? I am so curious to know." Sigvard's eyes glanced to Sigyn to Helga, who casted her eyes down, biting back a smile.

Sigyn puts a hand to Sigvard's arm and turns him away from her handmaiden. "Know your place, brother." she links her arm in with his as they walk.

"What?" laughed Sigvard. "I merely want to know why my dearest little sister is so happy this morn. You know I just want to make sure you are always alright."

The smile on Sigyn's face refused to be hidden any longer. "I was finally shown the great library today. Oh, it was wonderful! You should see it yourself. It is nothing like Vanaheim. It's magical! There was something so romantic about the way the old shelves are lined with history and stories..." she boasted.

Sigvard chuckled, "Ah, and who... who showed you the library?" he curiously asked.

Sigyn laughed sheepishly. "Prince Loki." she told him. "He even recommended some of his favourite books."

"Ah. That was nice of him."

"It was, brother. I did have plans with Thor this morning, but he had hunting plans with Baldur, so instead Loki led me through the palace. Ways I have not seen before."

"Sounds lovely. I am glad you had a nice time." Sigvard looked down at his sister. She was smiling, looking ahead. When she noticed he was looking, he quickly put on a smile for her and she beamed at him.

"How are you finding it here, brother?" she asked. "Oh, did you try on your wedding attire? I picked it knowing you would like it."

"I did try it on. It was a bit tight. Otherwise I liked it, yes." he replied. He stopped.