I was once more escorted to the dining room by Freyr. He spoke very little and his blue eyes were dull with sleepless night. I had slept rather well considering all the chaos that was ruining my mind. I felt today would be a wonderful opportunity to plan my escape since Freyr explained I would have free reign of the castle for the day. It was much appreciated.
I looked at Freyr who was gazing hollowly at the floor in front of him. There was more to this man that he let on.
“Freyr, why did you wear the collar?” I asked suddenly. I didn’t know why I had spoken such words but even I was not that misty about my past.
He stopped in his tracks and sighed. His blue eyes gazed the surrounding area and then he looked to me with a small smile. He lifted his bold chin up in defiance.
“Not all of us what to be controlled, Loki. You cannot keep a bird in a cage forever, without it wanting to be free. Some of us are forced. Most of us give in.”
I watched him then begin walking away towards the dining room. Freyr was a completely mystery. What did he mean by ‘us’?
I let the questions simmer in my mind while I raced to catch up with him and enter the dining hall to break my fast. The King and Queen had yet to arrive, but Sigyn and Freya were just making their way to their seats. But then I saw something I was not expecting.
Trevor. On the arm of Sigyn.
“Gods, that man is such an arse.” I heard Freyr mumble under his breath. I couldn’t contain my smile of agreement at the uncharacteristic comment from Freyr’s mouth. I had to agree. The man was a completely oaf. An arse.
Freyr and I made our way to our seats as we had the night before. I watched with disgust as Sigyn was seated in front of me by Trevor. She looked less than thrilled to be in his company.
“I hope to see you soon, my lady. Perhaps later during the dance this evening?” He smiled as he kissed her hand. She rolled her eyes and snatched her hand from him. I looked to Freya on the other side of Sigyn to see her smirking at the exchange. She found her sister’s disgust entertaining.
“Not on your life. Get used to disappointment.” Sigyn mumbled under her breath as she helped herself to some fruit. I had to admit. I found her disgust funny as well.
Trevor didn’t seem to hear her as he walked off with a grand smile on his face.
“Is the scourge upon womankind gone yet?” I heard Sigyn whisper to Freyr. He looked over me to the doorway and laughed.
“Yes, sister. He is gone. For now.” I looked as Sigyn let out a sigh of relief.
“Gods be praised.” She mumbled. I watched her take a bit of apple with a blissful look on her face. “His roaming hands will soon become broken if he continues his groping. Disgusting pig.”
“I must say he seemed quiet taken with you.” I spoke to Sigyn jokingly. She ignored my comment as Freya spoke for her.
“Well he certainly should be. She has been promised to him.” My insides sank slightly at those words. But…why?.
“Mother and Father obviously didn’t think things through.” Sigyn spoke through a bite of apple.
“Why did they betroth you and not Freya?” I asked Sigyn again. She looked up to me and then continued eating her apple.
“Because Sigyn refuses to be courted. She has yet to go to any of the balls mother and father threw in her honor and she she’ll have to be claimed by someone else in order to rid herself of that pig.”
That was rather interesting, I had to admit. And it was no wonder they didn’t bother with Freya, given her obvious…wandering ways. I imagined it would be a fruitless endeavor.
“If you’re so adamant about this man and marrying him, why not just begin to court?” I asked Sigyn directly. Again her blue eyes looked up at mine but she again did not answer.
“Because no one will claim her for fear of having to fight the captain of the guard.” I turned to Freya and gave her a cold and hatful look.
“When I ask you a question I’ll expect you to answer it my lady. Until then, perhaps you should let Sigyn answer her own. If she does not wish to talk to me, she can tell me herself.” Freya looked at me wide eyed and sat down in her seat in shock.
When I turned and faced Sigyn once more, her eyes were just as wide as her sisters, if not more so. She put the apple down slowly as I patiently waited for an answer.
“I don’t court because I don’t want to. There is too much life I have yet to experience, places I want to see before I’m tired down to a man that will only treat me like the floor he walks on.” She looked down at the table with a similar spacing look that Freyr wore.
“I suppose can understand that.” I smiled at her. When she glanced up back at me, she smiled just as brightly. By the gods this woman’s smile made me weak at the knees. I wouldn’t have been able to stand straight had I needed to stand up. “What about you?" I looked to Freyr. He let out a short skeptical laugh.
"If I wished to have a bride, i would need to go and find her. Freya and Sigyn are daughters so they do not have a choice." I laughed suddenly as a half-eaten apple flew across the table and hit Freyr.
"Don't lie, Freyr." Sigyn spoke playfully. She smiled mischievously at him. "You've already found your bride. You're just too afraid to tell her how you feel." Freyr smiled shyly as he tossed the half eaten projectile back at Sigyn. She giggled as she ducked down, her red hair streaking the black and white surroundings.
"You know it’s more than that! Mother and Father don't approve. They don't see her the way i do."
"You're still in love with that cur? She’s what got you in trouble in the first place." Freya suddenly spoke, her eyes narrowed and skeptical. Freyr shot her a look of loathing and hate but Freya only matched his anger.
“What had happened was not her fault! It was yours!” Freyr growled darkly.
An awkward silence filled the room between the brother and sister, the sparks of angst and rage beginning to set fire to the morning, before I heard Sigyn clear her throat and whispered.
“Freyr…please. Don’t.” she pleaded desperately. Her eyes were pained and wide with fear as she looked to her brother. Then she turned to me and then to Freya. “Freya why don’t you go show Loki around the palace. I need to speak to Freyr alone.”
“My pleasure.” I heard Freya purr happily.
I groaned internally. I didn’t want to go with Freya. But when I saw her look up and smile at me, I couldn’t help but smile back. She was quite beautiful, truly, but there was just something…off-putting about her. Something I couldn’t name.
I stood from my chair and watched Freya come around the table, lifting her black gown slightly as to move faster to my side. I rolled my eyes as I offered my arm to her. Gods, could I not have a single moment to myself?
After taking my arm with great enthusiasm, Freya led me out of the dining room and around the palace. My insult earlier obviously did not deter her notions and/ or plans or having me as ‘her’ guest. I looked down at the woman on my arm and sighed heavily. She felt like a weight on me.
“It is a beautiful day out.” She spoke randomly, trying to start up idle conversation. I looked out the passing windows as we traveled down the halls. The blue sky was bright and clear.
“It is decent I suppose.” I mumbled.
“Have something on your mind?” I heard Freya ask suddenly. I turned to see her green eyes questioning my state of mine. They were to color of moss today. Relaxing and calming.
“I’m sorry?” I asked politely.
“I imagine you have many questions and I certainly know for a fact that my brother has not answered them. So by all means, ask away.” I laughed at her brash honesty. It didn’t mean I liked her.
“Well, your brother is a good start I suppose. What exactly was that about?” Freya frowned and wandered over to a nearby balcony.
“All three of us grew up together. Me, the eldest, Freyr the middle child and Sigyn, the youngest. Our parents told us we were all very special but Sigyn and I knew Freyr was definitely the special one. But as we got older, Freyr changed. He became unpredictable, stubborn, and unstable. He went mad. My father snapped when he tried taking a young woman hostage, trying to run off and kidnap her. After several years of having the collar around his neck, our brother Freyr disappeared and something else is there inside his hollow shell. He hasn’t been the same since.”
It made sense. Yet something wasn’t right about this story…
“What did it have to do with you? He said it was your fault?” I remembered Freyr’s words and wanted to know where they fit in all of this.
“The woman he tried to kidnap was my personal maid and friend. I was the one that alerted the guards and my father.” She spoke sadly. I reached out and awkwardly and held her, trying to comfort her. I heard her sniffle and realized she was crying. “I just want my brother back.”
I was silent for several long moments. I wanted my brother back too.
But Freya was a liar. I could tell.