The cheers of joy quickly turn to confused anger and shouting. The people shuffle around asking if what they see is real and sure enough, it is. This reflects on Sigyn, mouth open, eyes blinking trying to focus back in. The royal guard march forward immedielty, armour rattling loudly and they ascend the steps with heavy footfalls. Quick to aim their swords at Loki, shield in hand. He was unfazed by this movement but rather he stood stall in his ceremonial attire. Sigyn looked over the crowd and back to Loki. To her mother and father, and back to Loki.
She takes a step back from him. "What have you done?" she shakes her head.
"What is the meaning of this!" King Iwaldi roars.
The confusion of the crowds grows louder.
"How dare you!" shouts Freya. She snatched the silver sword from a maiden standing to the side and charged for Loki, raising the weapon high. The crown screams. Frigga jumps forward to protect her son.
"No!" Iwaldi grabs her wrist, stopping Freya. "You cannot!" He stands between his wife and Queen Frigga.
"Calm yourself!" commanded Queen Frigga.
She turns to her with crazed eyes. "Look at what he has done!" she cursed.
"Strike him down and you will start another war that will never end!"
Sigyn shakes her head. Eyes filling with tears. She looks into Loki's eyes, seeing the glamour of the fake Loki standing by her brother disappear. "What is this!?" Sigvard shouted, whipping his head back and forth from the glamour to the real Loki. "What have you done with Thor, snake!?" he cursed.
Baldur steps in front of Sigvard. "Be calm!" he commanded. "We must think rationally here."
"How dare you!" cursed Sigvard, eyes full of rage. "Look at this! Look at what he has done!" he takes a step and Baldur jumps in front of him, hands out ready to grab Sigvard. "He has ruined everything and I bet he has done something to Thor."
Forseti steps down from his fathers side gazing with wide eyes up at Sigvard and his father. "Hack a tree where you seek Mistletoe." he whispers. No one hears him. "An arrow will strike true." he said.
Queen Frigga's head is shaking. She picks up the front of her dress. "Loki, what have you done!" she storms forward. "I demand answers." she sternly said.
Loki's eyes have not left Sigyn. "I did it for us."
Forseti whispered again. "Snakes in the grass. Venom on the tongue. Wolves howl and snarl." he took another step down.
Sigyn blinked finally pulling here eyes away from the enchantment of Loki. So many thoughts are running through her head that she can't put A to B together. Just a second ago she was lawfully married to Prince Thor. They shared their vows, binded their hands, drank the same blood.
Sigyn's teary eyes find Odin. His cheeks are red and he was furious. His fists are balled and his chest puffs out. He has not spoken yet. "I demand this be reversed!" Queen Freya screams, as Iwaldi rips the sword from her hands. Sigyn's sisters are in shock, they have no words to say but only looks to share. They step back coming closer together to stand shoulder to shoulder on the steps.
"Where is Thor!?" King Iwaldi's voice boomed, angrily. "This was not apart of the agreement, All-Father!"
"I will have your head for this!" Sigvard shouts, lunging forward. He flies into the arms of Baldur with a heavy smack. "You have ruined everything!" spits the Silver Prince. His calm demeanour finally shattered raging against the strength of Baldur.
Forseti escaped his fathers side in a panic and runs across to his mother's arms where she scoops him up asking if he was alright. Sigyn bows her head. Everything is ruined. Everyone is confused, or shouting, screaming, or angry. Her wedding has turned to chaos. The magical day she dreamt of as a little girl - ruined.
"I do not regret my decision, father." Loki finally looked at Odin. This makes Sigyn look up again. "I truly love Sigyn and you might have to kill me for it. But I did what had to be done and I am sorry for not telling you sooner." Loki says this to Sigyn. He can see all the motions going through her eyes.
"Do you understand what you have done?" Odin spoke with a harshness in his voice. "This cannot be so easily reversed!" he shouted so loud the confusion and anger of the crowd quietened down in fear of what was going to happen next. Maybe this time Odin would banish Loki forever or worse. Sigyn see's Baldur fighting to keep back her relentless brother. She see's her father and mother shouting and screaming and all her sisters with shocked and worried faces.
This was his plan all along? To marry her secretly and defy everything? Was this really what The Norns had fated for them?
"I demand answers, All-Father!" Queen Freya shouted.
"You have broken our sacred oath to this marriage and the realms." cursed King Iwaldi. "This means war will ensue before I allow my daughter to stay married to Loki! You had this planned all along!"
Odin spins to Iwaldi in a mad fury, red cheeked, and his cape whips around into Queen Frigga. "I will not be spoken to like a...!"
Sigyn turns swiftly, her features contorted with anger. "No!" she shouted back. King Iwaldi and Freya are taken back. Odin's words fall silent and he looks back at the Princess, a curious brow raised. "Enough!" she screamed at her brother and Baldur. "All of you!"
Sigvard stopped trying to fight Baldur. Stuck in his arms he looked at his sister, mouth contorted with curses, nose wrinkled, brows pulled together and eyes hungry for blood. His perfect hair now a mess and his clothes bunched up. Baldur keeps his arms around Sigvard. Even he is shocked such a loud voice came from a little timid girl.
"No more war!" Sigyn shouted turning to the crowd for all to hear. "Am I not still the Princess of Vanaheim and Loki a Prince of Asgard? Is he sill not your prince?" she searches the faces of the people. Most nodded, others pursed their lips, some shrugged. "This is still my decision!" Sigyn says, loudly.
In that moment, Freya understood her visions. She saw the faces of those two young boys so clearly it was like she was looking at them right now - as clear as she was looking at Iwaldi. And everything finally made sense.
(This is what The Norns have fated.)
"All of you!" Sigyn turns, shouting. Her brother stops trying to kill Loki and her father stops shouting. "Enough of the bloodshed! Brother, enough."
Then Queen Freya remembered all the pain and suffering.
(No.)
Sigvard violently ripped his arms out of Baldur enough to take a few steps towards them. Loki turned his body to Sigvard shielding Sigyn with an arm out to her. Sigvard stopped at this jabbing a sharp finger at Loki. "Vile evil snake!" he spat. "You had this planned all along. Is this what you wanted? For our realms to continue fighting? You have desecrated my sisters vows on her wedding day, are you not ashamed?" he flailed his arms gesturing to Asgard's people, whom are all witnesses. "Is this your prince, Asgard?"
Loki scoffed. "Then I confess in front of all of you! I proclaim my undying love for Princess Sigyn!" he shouted, proudly. This earned whispers from the people. "Yes, I had this planned. When do I not plan things? But in this union are our realms still not united?" he asked, looking at his father. "I love Sigyn so much so, I would die for her right now if you were to strike me down with Asgard as my witness!" Loki turned his gaze unto Sigyn. She had teary eyes and she was biting down on her lower lip to keep from crying. "I love you, Sigyn." he whispered to her. "With all that I am. I stay true to my vows."
Freya cast her eyes up to her husband and he looked back at Loki and Sigyn. "Why did you do this?" asked Sigyn. "Knowing the consequences?"
"I would not change the outcome."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she cried.
"I was afraid of losing you. So, I did what I thought best... and portrayed my brother to marry you instead." he explained. "Thor is in on this too. This was part of his plan as well, I am not entirely to blame here."
Sigyn shakes her head, casting her eyes away.
"Enough!" booms Odin. "Where is Thor!? What have you done with this this time? Find him!" he turns to his guards, shouting. "You will be punished for this!" he shouts at Loki. "Do you understand the direness of this situation!? I should have you banished."
"Odin!" snapped Frigga, coming forward, quickly.
"I would have it no other way, father!" snapped Loki. "You have all known form the start our love for each other."
Odin sucked in a breath to keep his composure. "I am not talking to you, boy. What has happened here cannot be so easily undone." Odin looked at Sigyn. "Sigyn, if you do not wish to be wed to Loki, I can make the arrangement to undo what has happened and I assure you he will be punished accordingly."
Loki opens his mouth to protest. Then he closed it. He finds Sigyn's gaze and his shoulders sag by a little. She has barely spoken. Heartbroken her moment was spoiled; he doesn't regret it. It would not have happened either way even if Odin allowed it. So he did what he thought best and keeping Sigyn out of the loop was crucial. Speak, he thought, please. His fate lay in the palm of her hands. His whole heart and life he gives it to her entirely.
Then she finally said,
"That will be unnecessary, All-Father."
"Sigyn?" King Iwaldi flies towards them. "What are you saying?" then his wife stopped him, shaking her head.
"They are right." Queen Freya gestured to them. "Look at them. I am the goddess of love and I can see this is true. Who are we to stand in their way? I have seen it, The Norns have had their fates intertwined since the beginning of time. Not even us gods can change that." All she could see where those two boys.
"Freya?" Iwaldi shakes his head, eyes wide.
"I say, let them be. I have foreseen things, husband. This is what The Norns have planned." all she can picture in her head are those two young boys. Iwaldi's jaw tightened. He thought for a moment. Then nodded.
"Is this what you truly desire, daughter?" he asked. Iwaldi slowly turns his head to look at his daughter before the alter. None of the arguments mattered anymore. None of the fights or the threats or the attempts to keep them apart. From that moment Sigyn knew nothing could keep them apart and if they had to fight The Fates themselves they would. Deep in her heart she felt the undying love she has for Loki, the urge to be his entirely always, it was a tightness in her chest. The best of her heart. Every breath she took and waking moment.
"I do." without hesitation. "I love Loki with my entire being."
Loki smiled.
Sigvard shouted throwing out his arms like a child. "You cannot be serious? I still have not seen Thor this entire time. How can we be sure he is telling the truth? He could have killed Thor for all we know." he shrugged.
"Because I am right here."
His voice causes Sigvard to turn quickly. Emerging from the crowd in a shrouded cloak is Thor. He pulls back the hood walking the path to bottom of the stairs. "As you can see, I am right here." Thor is standing at the bottom of the stairs, hammer in hand and cape gusting behind him. The whispers of shock arises to a high-level. Sigvard straightened out his robe with a tight tuck and a scoff. Baldur gives the Silver Prince a look of triumph.
"Brother." greeted Loki, with a curt nod. "Glad to see you could finally make it." he chuckled.
Thor ascends the steps. "Everything Loki says is true." he explained. "We both came to the idea that Loki should be the one to marry the Princess, may it be he does not deserve her, but their love is true and strong no one in the Nine Realms can deny that. And if they do, let them be struck down!" he raised a fist, earning a crowd of unsure cheer. "I am just to blame for this as Loki is. If you want to punish someone - punish me. Not my brother. His actions are noble even if they are not just."
"We all do stupid things for love." said Queen Freya. "Including breaking vows." she turns her eyes to Sigvard.
Thor stopped a few steps down from Sigyn's veil. "Father, I do not want to be married and the Princess did not want to marry me. I would be a burden to her. A misery in her life. Loki and Sigyn are meant to be. They are the ones fated." Thor then turned to the people. "Answer me this, Asgard!" he bellowed. "Are our realms still not united!?"
The people gave back a good cheer, a few whistles there, and shouts of agreement.
Thor looked at his father again. Then at Sigyn. "All I ask is that Princess Sigyn find it in her kind heart to forgive me."
She raised her eyebrows like she was expecting him to get on his knees and beg. "Forgiveness is farfetched, god of Thunder." she casted her gaze to Loki. "As is for you."
Still smiling, Loki looked at his feet.
"Father," said Thor. "Let them be. This is love. Listen to what everyone is telling you. Listen to the people."
Odin looked to his wife for a second opinion. Frigga was also smiling and she nodded. "Is this your final decision, Princess Sigyn?" he questioned, sternly.
"Yes."
Loki's smile grew wider.
Odin straightens his shoulders. "Sigyn, princess of Vanaheim, daughter of Iwaldi and Freya. You are most brave for sticking to this decision despite the peculiar circumstances." He gazes upon her. "For your wise choice to stay a loyal wife to Loki. I Odin, All-Father, ruler and protecter of the Nine Realms, make you Goddess of Fidelity." he puts a hand to her shoulder.
Sigyn's eyes widen.
Asgard erupts in shocked cheer and Sigyn can hear her sisters screaming.
"May you wear your tittle honourably and be known for your great deed this day. I happily announce Asgard and Vanaheim now as one! Let the celebration commence!" he roared. Asgard's cheer cannot be louder. They drown out the angry voice of Sigvard.
Loki laughs brightly taking Sigyn's hand in his and she smiled. They turn to Asgard raising their hands to the realm. They catch each others eye and all they see is the love for each other. The deep pools of desire and want dining into their souls. They are one now. Connected. Heart to heart. Bound for life.