For the Love of a Queen

Chapter 11

Only once the door is closed does Loki speak, "Why have you come, Sigyn?"

"Because I have need to know."

"Know what?"

"Everything."

He sighs, "That is an exasperating answer."

"And precisely the sort of one you would have given, had the questioner and answerer been reversed. Do not toy with me. I am still Sigyn, Queen. I have changed in some ways, but not so much you do not recognize me. You...I do not know. Nor can I trust what I see or hear of you."

"Have I lied to you before?"

"Yes. With your deaths."

He nods, "I suppose I have."

"I said you must tell me everything. Start there. With the Bifrost."

"Do you know how I came to that place?"

"That you found out your origins and lost control, yes. That you set about to destroy the very thing that you are, to claim victory over Jotunheim as none before you had. To outshine Odin and Thor both. Yes, this I know. And I know you fell."

"How do you know these things?"

"Frigga told me. She understood I deserved to know."

"She was wise in that."

"What happened there? And what happened that brought you to try to destroy Midgard?"

"I will not speak of what happened in the Void. But Midgard was a bargain. A throne in exchange for the Tesseract and Sceptre."

She stares, then crosses her arms, "A throne? That is what you would endanger a world for?"

"I did not say it was a wise bargain, but a bargain it was."

"Tell me what happened when you fell."

He shakes his head and grins, "Oh, Sigyn...I will not do such a thing. Not even for you. I will tell you all I have done in these worlds. I will tell you of the horrors of my monstrous nature, but I will not tell you what was done to me in the Void."

Sigyn sighs and steps closer, reaching for his face, "What did they do to you, dear boy?"

"I am no boy, woman, though I am younger than you," Loki snaps.

She shakes her head, "Do you not remember? It is a term of endearment in my tribe. A familiar way to address someone well-loved." She rests a hand on his cheek, "And you are still well-loved."

He steps back, "You do not know of what you speak."

"I do."

He shakes his head and turns away, "You think you know who I am...but I am no longer the sentimental fool I was in my youth."

"It has hardly been that long. We are both yet young. Tell me more of what has been. You tried to steal Midgard. I received word you were here. I came to you in your cell as the Queen did- you certainly remember denying me. And then Thor came to tell me of your death, a noble final act. And then suddenly here you are."

"Do you really want to know where I was between?"

"I said I wanted to know everything, even the horrible parts, did I not?"

Loki nods, "You did. I did die. It was...not something I want to do again. I don't know how it was I came to live again. But there was a blade through my body that burned until it was drawn, and then I felt only pain. Once pain ended, blackness. And nothing. I don't remember existing between then and when I very slowly sat up. I think I lost the better part of an hour, but I don't know. I came back to Asgard and replaced the All-Father on his throne, still weak from a lack of an adequate sleep his last time in the Odinsleep Chamber. I kept him there, bound by magic and chains. I took his place on the throne under his likeness. He did only recently die- and not by my hand. And so I had my opportunity to reveal myself."