Sigyn's Discovery (Part 1)

Summoned to the King (SIGYN)

At sunset, I returned to my chamber and found a small note attached to the door—a plea more than anything:

I owe you many apologies. Many things remain to be said. Please meet with me. – Theo

It was brave of him to try, but I couldn't help but feel it was a trap to get me alone and make me confess what happened after I saw him last night. Had he come to my room to make a similar attempt and heard me lost in Loki's passion? Even worse—had he heard the name?

I shook my head at the thought. If he had, he would've interrupted, surely.

A skirmish in the halls made me stand flush against the wall to avoid being touched. Many passing soldiers made their way through the second floor to the forward staircase—some standard palace guards, some Crimson Hawks, some Valkyrie. Their armor crashed in unison, making a predictable, ominous rhythm as they passed.

Yet new faces were among them. The gatekeeper Heimdall marched at the back beside Thor himself—he hadn't set foot in Asgard for so many months, I'd lost count. The two of them mumbled something to each other, but Heimdall glanced in my direction.

His yellow eyes saw more than I wanted him to. What do you know from gazing my direction alone? If he didn't know Loki was the man upstairs and not Odin, it was unlikely he knew about us.

Unlikely, but not impossible.

As for Thor, his arrival meant False Odin would be busy with another council lasting long into the night. Peace was busier than conflict. I guessed Loki's words from this morning hinted at this visitor—after all, with what we shared already, there was little reason not to find one another once the dust of the day settled. His ask to meet him in my dreams foreshadowed not being able to hold me in person.

I took the opportunity willingly, needing to recover from his passionate appetite. After writing in my journal, feeding Tiwaz, and tidying my chambers for a possible visit, I curled into my sheets and hugged the right side of the bed. Should he come to me, there would be plenty of room to rest himself.

***

I awoke as if I'd only blinked. No dreams. Had any time passed at all? I struggled to lift my legs from the mattress, still heavy with exhaustion, though I finally stood enough to wash my face and comb my hair. The small amount of soreness that followed me yesterday was amplified without another tryst to keep my mind busy.

An angry yellow sun shone between the curtains, nearly blinding me. Interrogated me. What have you done? it asked, as if Theo had ordered it to spy on me.

I closed the drapes with a defiant quick pull and a huff. Guilt threatened to dampen my day, but I refused to acknowledge it. What was I guilty for? Finding a match? Living my life? Being honest about what I wanted? Even if Loki hadn't been in the bell tower and subsequently between my thighs, it wouldn't have made a difference in my fight with the soldier.

Still, the sun's arrival proved the time and forced me to move quickly. I pinned Loki's cape in a higher place than usual, allowing me to move with longer strides without letting the fabric show underneath. I wanted him close to me, but he was right when he mentioned noticing it when we met, so this was the best compromise. The black robe for my palace duties had a different waist seam than the old grey one anyway.

As if on cue with my being ready for the day, someone banged on my door, startling me.

Gods. I hurried to open it with my hand over my heart, being cautious not to swing it too wide in case Theo was my visitor. "Yes?"

A formal palace guard slammed his axe into the floor, righting himself as straight as possible. "Odin the Allfather requests your presence in the judgment hall."

It was familiar. The regurgitated request for any man whose job it was to fetch people for the king's audience. But I took the invitation as a sign that Loki wished to see me, even if he had to make up an excuse to do it before nightfall. "I bet he does," I said, smirking as I put my soft shoes on to follow him.

He barked, "Do not treat the Allfather with such disrespect."

"Oh, I didn't mean—"

"Those who are guilty of crimes against Asgard have little room to beg for mercy beyond that which is already done. It would be unwise to add to any list he has for you." The guard stepped back, revealing an identical companion, and they waited for me to lead the way so they could follow.

I hesitated, but kept my mouth shut because they had fear in their eyes. Perhaps Theo had done something rageful, and I was called because someone claimed I knew him best...Loki couldn't argue with that. False Odin couldn't maintain the illusion by letting on that something else was at play.

So why am I anxious?

Every few steps forward up the stairs, I glanced over my shoulder. They were still close behind, unwavering, with scowls of seriousness on their faces. I wanted to sprint and dive around a corner to hide from them, since instinct made the hair on my neck stand up. The whole palace was electric now, like Odin's chamber door, ready to lash out and shock unwelcome visitors at any moment.

Passing Frigga's room, a draft below the door made me shiver. It was missing the life that used to pour from it. She was now gone, fully lost to the star above the Bifrost, looking down to us.

I wasn't sad—it gave me hope to know she wasn't haunting it.

Once at the top of the stairs, I had only a straight path ahead to reach the throne, but so many distractions kept me focused on my shoes. Clanking steps from the guards behind me meant I couldn't stop. The marble floors, with their perfect mirror shine, were more slick than I remembered from even two days ago, so I carefully picked up my feet while holding my skirt and was mindful not to raise it enough to show the green beneath.

I only looked up when a row of soldiers on either side reflected back from the floor. They stood perfectly still, refusing to make eye contact. Now, even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't. I was blocked on all sides by armor. My pace slowed.

"Keep moving," the man behind me ordered, threatening to touch me with his axe.

"I..." I looked to the throne for guidance, even comfort, and searched the face of the man for any sign of recognition.

But Odin sat straight in his seat and glared with his one eye. No warmth within. He fixated on my every movement. Thor stood on his right with arms behind his back, and Heimdall in the same position on the other side.

Something's wrong. I swallowed hard but couldn't stop my heart's migration to the top of my throat. My fingers tingled as I breathed ever harder.

Indeed, the man before me was...older somehow. More tired than usual. He tapped his fingers on the staff at his side, and slammed it into the floor once I was close enough to hear him speak.

For a moment, I stood in the silence, afraid to turn too much and see who else was present. If Theo was there, it wasn't obvious. A pull in my gut said I should prepare myself for shattering news.

The king cleared his throat. "Sigyn Eddasdottir, you are hereby charged with treason in the highest order. What is your plea?"

I felt struck in the stomach with dull knives. Heat rose through my face and ears, burning me within. "W-what?"

The small group of soldiers at the front shifted enough for me to see past them.

I couldn't keep balanced and nearly fell over, now kept in place by strong arms holding me upright—the guards who escorted me.

In chains and on his knees was Loki, my lover, crestfallen and weeping behind Thor.

Odin wasn't false at all. He'd been awakened. "As I said, you stand accused, an accomplice to an imposter. Your actions have prolonged the imprisonment of the true King of Asgard and endangered the people of this realm. How do you plea?"

The sun's angry glare followed me to the noble floor, adding a dissonant brightness to the darkness of my future.

Oh yes. I suppose I am guilty of that.