One For All Time (Sigyn)

[Loki Laufeyson]

A restful night melded into a beautiful morning, and sunlight had just barely begun to stream into the bedchamber. The room was quiet, the soft sound of breathing the only relief from the silence. The light cast shadows around the room, gave a warm glow to the objects inside. The entire castle, and the city as a whole, was cast in this glow, the glow of a new day and the warm fuzziness of having to awaken and go about the day's business within a few hours.

This particular wing of the palace was just coming to life, with the servants barely beginning to tend to their daily chores. The two figures went unnoticed as they made their way quickly into the largest room in the wing. Through the salon they went, past the library and past the dressing room and past many other doors that led to many mysterious places. Into the bedchamber lit in sunlight and cast in general silence, toward the bed that made the centerpiece of the room.

They slipped in among the shadows, sneaking in with practiced proficiency. Their quarry remained unaware, even with the sound of padded footsteps crossing the floor. Having made it to the bed completely undetected, they climbed up and started bouncing around.

"Mother! Father! Wake up!"

"Nnnnnnnnn…."

"Today's the day! You said you'd take us to the fair!" Vali continued to bounce. Being the bigger of the two, he continually almost bounced Narvi off the bed, but the younger boy hung on valiantly, with better balance than could be expected of a three-year-old.

An annual festival would begin this morning, to celebrate some past victory or other event just about everyone in Asgard had long since forgotten. The point of the festival now was to expand the general, daily market, and include such entertainment as horse racing and eating contests and the like. This would not be Vali's first time attending the festival - he had been a couple of years in the past - but he seemed to love it and somehow knew when it was due to be held every year. Narvi had never been to the fair before, and Vali was eager to show his baby brother around.

"Wife," Loki murmured, his eyes still closed but a smile forming on his lips, "I do believe we are under attack."

"Rwar!" Vali crouched and made a menacing face, and was rewarded for his trouble with tickles from his father. He fell over laughing, but Loki caught him and sat him back up. Loki was beginning to wake up now, slowly but surely. Sitting up, he reached over and pulled Narvi closer as well. It was the perfect picture of a family.

"I do seem to recall such a promise. Go, get ready for a day of fun and festivities. Give your parents some time to catch up." The boys squealed with excitement, and scrambled to hug their parents. Loki chuckled. He was in one of those better moods this morning; secretly he loved it when the boys came in to wake them up; it was only second to waking up with a kiss from Sigyn. The moment the boys were gone, he would pull her closer and kiss her, fully intending to make love to her if she let him. "Good morning," he whispered across her ear. "Good morning, my most precious love."

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Subconciously, she realized what was going on when the boys started to climb the bed. Had Loki and her not been asleep entirely, they would have probably noticed earlier. Sigyn had already started to frown a second before Vali and Narvi started to jump the bed in pure joy and excitement of the day.

The boys regularly woke Loki and Sigyn up this way. Sometimes, it'd be a dangerous mission, if Loki and Sigyn were already up and busy with each other, but Sigyn did not have it in her to forbid her sons to come and see them in the morning.
However, in her dizzy, half-asleep state, she just wanted five more minutes of sleep. From the way the kids were jumping, she knew who was Vali and who was Narvi. Narvi was lighter and much less coordinated. And he was jumping closer to Sigyn.

"No," Sigyn murmured back, pulling the blanket further up, "You are."
Because before getting up, those wild animals clearly were his sons, were they not.

Realising that his mother seemed to be slightly grumpy, Narvi stopped jumping and leaned in, clumsily on all fours, kissing Sigyn's cheek.
"Mother, wake up," his tiny voice gently said, putting another small kiss on her cheek. That was when Sigyn suddenly turned and pulled her youngest son in.
"Got you," she said, still keeping her eyes closed. Sigyn loved both her boys equally, but their relationships were entirely different. Even as a very small child, Vali had already started to want to protect his mother, be her guard. On the markets, he had always wanted to walk in front of her, just in case someone would attack her. He was still like this, her brave, little boy, that wanted responsibility.

Narvi on the other hand, was much gentler, more fragile and clearly, a mama's-boy. He was also the spitting image of his father. Oftentimes, Sigyn would be seen carrying Narvi around, who was curled up against his mother, while Narvi was leading them through the palace, his little wooden sword at hand.

Sigyn kissed Narvi a last time, before she released him. They were good boys, they listened to what their parents said. Most of the times. But then again, neither Loki nor Sigyn ordered them around and forbade them to do things they loved. It worked well, much in contrast to both, Loki's and Sigyn's experiences when it came to their own parents.

The attack did not stop when the boys had left. Loki was pulling her in for a kiss. Oh, she knew those kind of kisses! Taking advantage of her sleepy state, he made her body react with raw, savage, lust. Her mind had yet to fully wake up, so it was her body taking over. Sigyn instantly pulled him in harshly by his shoulders, on top of her and answered his kiss, her tongue instantly invading his mouth to find his.

An hour later, Sigyn was kneeling in front of Narvi, closing his little jacket properly. Vali was already finished, practicing his sword fighting in front of the mirror.
"Narvi, stand still for just one second, please," Sigyn gingerly pleaded. Her youngest son was practicing standing on one leg only. That did not support her task that well.
"I want to eat very much. This much, mother!", Narvi explained, lifting his arms as high as he could.
"You will burst," Vali said, entirely unimpressed.
"No, I will not! I can eat more than you!", Narvi fought.
"Both of you will eat so much that you'll burst and I'll live in peace!", Sigyn joked, chuckling.
She kissed Narvi's cheek then. "All done, now we'll just have to find your father."
Of course, there was an official event coming before they could stroll the fair. Odin would hold a speech and his family - Vali, Narvi, Loki and Sigyn being part of them - would be standing right behind him. But after that, Sigyn fully intended to fool around with her children. Most likely, she'd participate in their personal eating contest.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Nothing made Loki prouder than his family. His wife, his beautiful Sigyn, with greater wisdom than a thousand other wives and mothers; his beautiful sons, the strong and confident Vali and the sweet and charming Narvi. Both of his sons had already proven incredibly intelligent, with the thoughtfulness of their mother and the cunning of their father, and the ability to think both with the head and the heart. They had an excellent start to life, just as both their parents had hoped they would.

One day, they would lead Asgard, not as its rulers, but as its foremost advisors, its most respected sorcerers or warriors or whichever path they each wished to take. He could see their futures ahead of them, so bright and promising. It seemed nothing they did could ever truly disappoint him.

And Sigyn… well, she knew how he felt about her. She held his heart, and every secret it contained. She might as well have owned his body too. He did not even attempt to pretend there was anything wholesome in the way he kissed her once the boys were gone. With any luck, the boys would find something distracting to occupy them for a good while.

He had yet to grow tired of making love to Sigyn. Somehow he felt certain that even if they tried to copy the exact same motions every time, he still would want no one but her. What they had went beyond the physical. He had needs that only she could satisfy. And satisfy them she did.

While she tended to their boys, Loki had sought out the rest of his family to inform them that they were ready for the introductory event. For that, he had to wear his full armor, but would change later - probably via magic - so he would not be stuck walking around the fair in metal and leather. He returned to his own wing to find Sigyn dressing the one-footed Narvi. Chuckling, he stooped next to them and pecked Sigyn's cheek.

"Your father is easily found," he told the boys, "for here he stands." Offering his hand to Vali, he explained, "We must be present for the opening ceremony, and you both must remain on your best behavior. After that, my dears, you may eat as much as you wish."

Dangerous words, he knew. Both boys would be sick to their stomachs the next day. But they would have their mother and father to take care of them, so why not let them have this bit of fun? Youth was fleeting, especially for beings who would live for ages; this time would soon be past for them, and they would have to behave as proper princes, at least as much as anyone would expect a Lokison to behave.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Sigyn had not known she wanted to be a mother that dearly, before she had actually become a mother. The moment of Vali's birth had caused a dramatic change within her, had calmed some of the storm she had tried to control ever since she could remember. When she had held him the first time, still in the aftermath of his birth, the little boy being covered in goo, had cried, Sigyn had felt a love and sense of purpose she had never felt before. It had been the most amazing thing she had ever experienced. A couple of years later, it had repeated itself, when Narvi had been born.

Her boys - all three of them - were everything to Sigyn. She woke up every morning in nothing, but bliss. There were days of bad moods, of course. She was still stubborn, still under the weather sometimes. Loki and her fought on occasion, things annoyed her. Moreover, Sigyn only accepted as much help from servants with her sons as she had to. She made sure to raise them herself, much in contrast to her mother, who had been happy about Greta's presence as much as possible. But at the end of the day, she felt blessed and found herself in a constant state of happiness.

Of course, events like today were tricky. Loki and Sigyn alike were still not that fond of such official events. Quite on the contrary. However, they could not sulk and share their annoyance with the boys. Narvi and VAli were only children, they would not understand. Besides, they did not hate it as much anyway. Especially Vali liked to appear next to his father and his uncle Thor, carrying his very own sword around most of the times.

When Loki appeared, she stood. Narvi was dressed by now. As Loki kissed her gently, she brushed her hand over the horns of his helmet. Vali stared at it, too. He wanted a helmet on his own desperately, Sigyn knew her son. To him, it was the ultimate artefact a warrior of Asgard could have. Naturally, he preferred his father's helmet over Thor's.
"No, father," Vali said, refusing to take his father's hand. "I will guide the way!"
The little boy opened the door, sword at hand, peeked out. "Everything is clear. You may come out.", he said, nodding towards his father. Vali was right in the middle of a phase. He did not want to be considered a child. He was a man of Asgard, after all! That did not keep him from falling asleep on his father's arm on occasion, but that was nothing he'd want to talk about, was it not?
"I'll help!", Narvi said, running towards his brother, leaving Sigyn and Loki alone in the room for just a second.
"I love you, my prince," Sigyn said, slowly leaning in to steal a kiss from Loki's lips. She possibly would not have another until after the ceremony.

"Boys, wait for us!", she hurried to yell as she heard her sons run towards the great hall.

Outside, they'd climb their horses - Sigyn would take a carriage with Frigga and the boys - and ride to the fair, where Odin would hold his speech.
But once they had arrived outside, Vali started to beg.
"Mother, can I ride with father, please?"
"You need to ask your father about thi,-", she started, but got interrupted by another small voice.
"Me, too! Me, too!", Narvi chimed in, despair lingering in his eyes as he was scared to be left behind.
Sigyn lifted her brows, looked at Loki with a smirk on his lips. "Perchance, if you kindly as your father and your uncle Thor, they will share their horses with you.", she said, shrugging.
This one is on you, her gaze said, as she triumphantly looked at Loki.

[Loki Laufeyson]

The boys and Sigyn were prepared to leave. Loki chuckled to himself as Vali led the way, ensuring all was safe before they left the room. That was his boy, his courageous warrior. He was no man yet, though, and Loki did wish he would enjoy his childhood more, rather than rush into being an adult. These days were so precious. Loki could barely imagine the boys being fully grown. If only they could simply stay this young, where he could protect them!

But alas, these days were fleeting, and would soon be but a memory. Loki realized that. Of course, he would still love his sons when they were older, but there was just something precious about the innocence they held now, and it was that which he truly wished to protect. Life was not as warm and welcoming as a child might think; it was cold and lonely, to Loki at least, with Sigyn and now the boys providing his only relief. These moments were perfect and had to be cherished.

"And I love you, my princess, queen of my heart," he answered, looking at her for a long second before diverting his attention to the boys, who had run out of sight. Soon they caught up with the little ones, and were headed outside when the boys announced their change of plans. He looked from one to the other to the other, then over at where Thor was preparing his own horse. He seldom could deny the boys anything, and there seemed to be no harm in letting them ride with himself and their uncle.

They looked up at him with such heart-melting hope that he had no choice but to give in. "All right. You can ride with us-" The rest of his statement almost went unheard under the cheering. "Narvi, you will ride with me. Vali, go ask Uncle Thor very politely." He watched the older boy run off to greet Thor, who seemed amenable to the idea. After mounting his own horse, he indicated for Sigyn to hand Narvi to him, and sat the boy in front of him.

They all rode out to the grounds, where a stage and podium had been set up. The family was arranged to the left of the stage, and stood there quite regally as the required speeches were given and the festival was opened.

"Well, then, where to first?" Loki asked, his question mostly addressed to Vali, only because the boy had attended this fair with them before and would likely want to lead the way around it, show Narvi and his parents just what was interesting. Removing his helmet, he carried it in one arm and took Sigyn's hand with the other.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

The boys were ecstatic as Loki granted them their wish. Thor did not seem to mind, either. Really, there was hardly anyone who disliked Vali and Narvi. The boys were very sweet, beutiful and smart. They even melted Odin's heart everytime they came to see him. It was a lovely thing to watch.
Sigyn lifted Narvi up, so Loki could put him in front of him and retreated to her carriage then. Of course, she would have preferred riding her horse, now that the boys were taken care of, but she already assumed that Narvi and Vali would be knackered, if not fast asleep, once they returned. They would not be able to hold themselves on those horses, so it was only wise to bring a carriage.

During the ceremony, Vali stood tall next to his father. Narvi on the other hand, hid more and more behind Sigyn's leg, hugging her calf. There were a lot of people in front of them, who were loud and cheered. It was just a little too much for the little boy.
The ceremony was soon over and after a couple of people had come to talk to them, they were good to stroll the fair themselves. Of course, they might have to make do with the one or other person approaching them, but Sigyn did not want her children to experience a weird extra-treatment with guards that were not necessary and the arrogance of some royals.
Narvi was still kind of shy, kept himself close to his mother's leg, when Loki asked Vali where to go first.
"JOTUNHEIM!", Vali exclaimed, lifting his sword. Every single one of the nine realms had been recreated somewhere on the fair, actors were portraying the particular inhabitants. Why Vali was chosing Jotunheim of all those, Sigyn did not know.
"Jotunheim it is, then," Sigyn said.
"Mother,", Narvi cried, lifting his arms up to Sigyn.
"Love, you can walk by yourself, can you not?", she said, letting go of Loki's hand in order to crouch down, squeeze her son and give him a kiss. Narvi did not approve, but eventually, he took Sigyn's hand. Sigyn took Loki's again and together, they looked for Jotunheim.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Chuckling softly, Loki let Vali lead the way to "Jotunheim," where there would be plenty of cold treats to sample and "Frost Giants" to battle. The actors were painted in blue and dressed in loincloths and jewelry meant to mimic the Jotunn, and were more than happy to lose every fight, especially when battling children. It was easy to mimic the big,dumb brutes and feel no attachment to them.

At least the boys had not chosen to start their day in Hel. The "Hel" display was always an interesting one to see, as there would often be someone dressed up as Hela, usually sitting regally on a throne, observing her ghostly subjects. The participants there would go on with their merrymaking until Loki appeared, at which point everyone would be polite and pains would be taken not to offend him or his daughter. It was amusing and somewhat irritating.

Ironically, the realm Loki preferred to see portrayed was Midgard. It was interesting to see how closely accurate the portrayal would be, for, unlike the other realms, which were eternal, the home of the mortals was always growing and changing. At least it had that going for it, since the place, to Loki at least, always proved quite boring.

As he watched the boys, Loki imagined a day when they would ride off to the real Jotunheim or some other realm to do battle in the name of Asgard. They would be the greatest warriors Asgard had ever known, greater than their mother and father and uncle combined, because they would have the strength and knowledge of battle, and the wisdom to choose their battles wisely. He would be proud to ride into battle with them, to be outshined by their cleverness. For they were his sons, by the woman he loved.

For now, however, they were only boys, and he was glad they did not have to face the real world just yet. That would come in time.

"Who darest enter the realm of the Jotunn?" an actor cried out, making his voice sound like the dull roar of a giant. Jovially, he raised a fake sword and engaged Vali in battle, and Loki watched as the little boy actually fought very well. He had always been a fast learner. Quickly the "giant" was vanquished, and Vali stood triumphantly over his fallen foe.

"Well done," Loki said, applauding, trying his best to ignore the odd anxiety that was growing in him. He squeezed Sigyn's hand affectionately. One day soon, their boys would be grown, and facing the very real threat of actual giants. It would be too soon.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Vali seemed to know exactly where he was headed to. There was no such thing as the giddiness of a child who was anticipating something. It was infectious and beautiful. Sword raised, Vali marched on. He could hardly wait, so he let go of his father's hand walked a few steps ahead of them, but turned every now and then to make sur his parents were still behind him. He was a little boy after all.
"Narvi! Come!, he exclaimed, wanting his little brother in on the action. Narvi was still some kind of intimidated by all the buzz of the fair. His conflict was drawn all over his face, he wanted to join his brother and prove that he was a big boy, too, but at the same time, he just wanted to keep on holding his mother's hand and be safe.
"It's okay Narvi," Sigyn said. And then, Narvi caught up with Vali.
However, when they arrived at Jotunheim, Narvi stopped and waited for Vali to take action. He winced when the Jotunn spoke, turned to look at his parents when the fight commenced. Loki and Sigyn stood in a small distance, watching. Sigyn leaned against Loki, a smile on her face. This was exactly how she had wanted her children to grow up, carefree, as children, not bound by restrictions and morals. She'd never try to make people out of them they did not want to become. If it so happened that both of them aspired to become warriors of Asgard, then she would support them. If they wanted to become wisemen, teach or explore science, then she's support them just the same.

Vali fought bravely. Already, you could see how aware he was of his body and the sword, even if it was only made from wood. He seemed to be having a natural talent for fighting and moreover, he loved it.
The Jotunn fell quickly, defeated by Vali, who laughed and raised his sword. Narvi carefully approached. That was when the Jotunn roared and trembled a last time, the event of dying played well by the actor.
But it was too much for Narvi. The little boy started to cry instantly, bitterly, in absolute fear and ran back to his parents. Sigyn crouched down, took her boy into her arms. Narvi held on to her for dear life.
"Shhh, sweetheart, it's all fine! Look, Vali defeated the Jotunn," Sigyn said, but it only made Narvi cry harder. Vali realized that his brother was scared and came to put his hand on Narvi's back.
"Narvi, you must not cry, I killed it!", he tried to comfort his brother. The actor looked up, locked his gaze with Loki. Apparently, he was torn between staying in character and begging his prince for forgiveness for having made his son cry. Sigyn did not notice that just yet, because she was still crouching and holding her son, who had stopped to shake, but was still crying.
"Don't cry, Narvi. Nothing bad is going to happen. Shhh," she whispered, rocking the little boy. She brushed her hand through Vali's hair. "You did well, my son.", she said.
One day, situations like that would cease to happen. Her boys would not need her comfort and protection anymore. They'd be grown men, perfectly able to defend themselves. Great sorcerers, brave warriors. Right now, they were just two little boys that needed their parents' comfort and appreciation. And Sigyn would give them both for as long as she lived.

[Loki Laufeyson]

As Vali fought, Loki watched proudly, impressed by his son's natural ability with the sword. The Jotun actor fought well, though of course he did so with the consideration that he was fighting a child, and let him win, of course. He portrayed the giant well, even going so far as to make a last dying roar. Unfortunately, the sound frightened the young Narvi.

Loki stooped down to comfort Narvi as well, though Sigyn and Vali were doing as good a job at that as he could. The glance the actor shot at Loki did not go unnoticed by him. A few options for punishment floated around in his mind, but he ignored them. Narvi was a child, after all, and his crying out of fear was not the actor's fault. So he waved the glance away, a little disgusted that the actor would be so frightened over such a negligible incident. Then again, this was Loki - he had done far worse for far smaller offenses.

"Come, Narvi. Now that the creature is defeated, we can venture past and explore Jotunheim." Loki took Narvi's little hand in his, and gestured toward the rest of the frost-themed exhibit. It was unlikely that any more actors would approach them for battle after seeing what had just happened, but there would be other things to do, and surely Narvi would be calm again after growing more used to things here. Vali had been much the same way at Narvi's age, when he had attended his first festival, so this was nothing new to his parents. Of course, if you asked Vali, he would deny he ever cried at such a thing.

He did not want to show Narvi too much attention after Vali's excellent display, so he also patted Vali lightly on the back before standing up again. One of his fears was that his two sons would develop the sort of jealously he felt toward his own brother. He did not want that for his sons; he wanted them to honestly, genuinely love each other, and not constantly compete. He would do his best to make sure he did not fail the same way his father had.

With one arm lightly resting on Sigyn's back, he started toward the stands that had been set up, which offered foods and crafts and other such things themed for the cold. He figured they would walk around here a bit, then venture into one of the other "realms," which Narvi might find more friendly.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Narvi looked at his father with red, scared eyes. But something about Loki calmed the little boy. Sigyn knew, both her boys looked up to their father. This was the way it should be. They had every reason to cherish him. She had come to experience a new side to her husband when her children had been born. He was softer, extremely caring, the love literally showing in his eyes. Sigyn knew, he would never do his sons any harm. They could not have been safer than with him. It was a lovely picture that she'd never tire of.

Narvi, still a little cautious, took Loki's hand. Vali made sure to stay close to his little brother, the desperate wish to protect him directing his actions. "Mother! Father! I will protect Narvi with my life! You need not fear, Narvi, I will be with you!", Vali said, nodding encouragingly at the little boy. And Narvi believed him. This was family. You protected the other.

They were continuing to roam the fair, on the look-out for another realm, when the delicious scent of freshly baked pastries crossed their way. "PASTRIES!", Narvi and Vali cried out in union. "Father! Father!", Narvi begged, stretching his neck best he could to look up at Loki.
Sigyn had to laugh out loud. A moment ago, they had faced the dangers of Jotunheim and now, they were almost losing their precious sanity over pastries.
"Here," Sigyn said, putting a coin into Vali's hand, "Share it with your brother."
Most likely, if the baker realized who was approaching them, he'd give the boys all the pastries in the world. But Sigyn wanted to teach her sons humility. Moreover, money was not a problem to begin with. For they were princes of Asgard.
Vali was about to run off, but Sigyn raised her voice slightly, "Vali!"
The boy looked at her, figured out what she wanted immediatly. He took Narvi's hand, slowed down so the little boy could keep up. Sigyn leaned against Loki as they slowly followed. "If you ask me, we can make another one of those right here, right now," she whispered. Oh, if anyone overheard that kind of sweet-talk, gossip would bloom.

[Loki Laufeyson]

If Loki was a good father, he would be the last person to see it. He did not understand what it meant to be a good father; he only knew what he should not do, as shown to him by Odin's principles of raising children. He consciously avoided making the mistakes he perceived Odin had made, but whether that automatically made him a good father, he did not know, and doubted greatly.

He did not see that it was his love that gave him that coveted title. He was unable to observe the look in his own eyes as he watched his sons at play, and had never heard the tenderness in his own voice as he spoke to them. Had he been able to see these things, perhaps he would have begun to understand that, underneath the layers of power and cunning and trickery and insecurity, Loki Odinson was not only a wonderful father, but a wonderful husband. A wonderful man.

It was so amusing and so sweet to see the boys go from fear and battle to excitement over little pastries. Loki watched the boys run off to buy what they wanted, after Vali stopped to wait for his brother. The four of them had a way of understanding each other well. Even at such a young age, the boys were able to read their parents well. Looks and smiles sufficed as conversation much of the time. Words were superfluous, for the benefit of others' ears only.

Such was it with Loki and Sigyn themselves, though the words she shared with Loki then were not for the benefit of others. Placing his hands at her waist, he lowered his head to speak into her ear. "I find no fault with this plan," he teased, gently kneading the skin and cloth under his hands. There were plenty of people around them, though, and when it came to his wife, Loki had never been much of an exhibitionist.

He brushed his lips along the curve of her neck, and moved one of his hands to hold hers. His next words, though, might have been completely unexpected, spoken in a joking tone. "May I also have coin for a pastry?"

Grinning, he squeezed her hand. Vali and Narvi were still within sight, running back to their parents with the treats they had chosen. Loki kissed Sigyn's neck and then took a few steps forward, bending down slightly to see what the boys had in their hands, if there was even any pastry left by this time. "What did you get?" he asked, still smiling.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

If Sigyn knew what fate was awaiting her sons, her husband, she might have told him more. Of course, every now and then she kissed Loki and told him how lovely it was to see him with his sons, how heartwarming his gaze was, when he looked at his youngest. But she did not realize he needed to hear it more often, explained with more vehemence. He had become a better man alltogether, but he was not aware. Of course, he was still the God of Mischief to others, bystanders, outsiders. But to his wife and sons, he was nothing but a loving father and an amazing husband. Sigyn had seen this in him when she had first met him and she had believed in it eversince. Marrying Loki had been the best decision of her life. Nothing, but happiness had come out of it, regardless of obstacles put in their way by themselves or the outside world.

Loki could not possibly do this in public! Sigyn was not scared to be detected, she knew he was sneaky about touching her like that with so many people around, yet she could not help but react. She bit her lip, smiling at him. She adored this man, how could she not be amazed by his touch? "I will patiently wait for you to lie with me tonight then," she said, which could indicate everything from just lying side by side, sleeping, to making love all night. Loki probably knew which of the two was on Sigyn's mind. Yet his kisses appeared innocent to outsiders and perhaps, they were setting a good example for their people. There was nothing bad about love, publicly displayed. If the streets told about Loki and Sigyn sweet-talking each other on the fair, it as nothing but a good thing, was it not?

However, she had indeed not reckoned with his request. Sigyn chuckled, closed his hand around his, a coin in between their palms all of a sudden, out of nowhere, "Alas, my lord, treat this carefully. I would not want you sick from eating too much cake tonight."
They still had the official ball to attend to. But there was always a time they'd go to bed, into privacy.
Vali and Narvi returned, Narvi having trouble walking while simultaneously devouring his pastry, that looked awefully big in the little ones' hand. Sigyn held her dress by her knees, crouched down as well. Narvi had cake all over his face already.
"Apple pie!", Narvi exclaimed, holding the pastry, that looked kind of battered and bruised from tiny hands holding it tightly, into Loki's face, offering his father to take a bite.
"I have chocolate cake," Vali said proudly, presenting his pastry, that looked a little more in place.
"Oh my, how could I decide! That is fairly impossible!", Sigyn chuckled.
"You can get both, mother, so you can burst with us", Vali smugly suggested.
"I might as well try both of yours," she said, reaching out. Vali laughed, jumped backwards and protected the pastry with his life. "Nooo, mother, this is mine", he said, getting as upset over his candy as a young boy should.
"My bad, prince Vali," Sigyn mocked him with a smile on his face, "I did not know you grew that attached to your cake!"
"You can try mine, mother!", Narvi said, holding the carcass of a pastry up for Sign to taste. Once, this cake might have looked delicious. Sigyn, being a mother, was little disgusted. So she actually bit a piece off that cake. "Oh," she sighed, sounding quite suprised and earnest, "This is delicious!"
It was! She had not reckoned with cake being that nice!

[Loki Laufeyson]

These little moments between wife and husband were frequent and liable to happen anywhere, whether in public or elsewhere. Of course, had they not been in public, Loki would have been more likely to follow through, but here in the open, they had an image to uphold. It was no secret to their people that they were very… affectionate. There was nothing wrong with making love in their society, but it was better to avoid doing so in public, so the people would not have more to fuel their imaginations.

"And I will look forward to it," he murmured into her skin as he kissed her. His teasing resulted in receiving the coin he asked for, but the boys returned before he could hurry after them. "Why that looks delicious, Narvi," Loki said, bending down to take a little nibble as Narvi offered the pie carcass. Vali was less forthcoming with his treat, and Loki chuckled as the boy pulled it away.

The cake was actually very good, and Sigyn clearly enjoyed it. "Come," he said, sweeping Sigyn up off her feet a little with one hand around her waist. He led her and the boys to the stand from which Narvi had acquired his treat, and gave the vendor there a rare smile.

"I have heard your pastries are excellent," he said pleasantly, which made the vendor flustered a bit as he offered many thanks in return. Loki handed him the coin and received a pice of pie, which he showed to Vali and Narvi. "See, now we have our own, and we will not share," he teased, sticking his tongue out at them, but he broke off a piece each for the boys before turning to Sigyn.

"And for you, my love," he said, breaking off a larger piece and presenting it to her, or rather, feeding it to her, if she wanted it. He would have hated to eat the entire rest of the pastry himself.

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Sigyn loved to show him off. To show her family off. Surely, she would not go out for the mere purpose of boasting with her happiness - and her insanely attractive husband -, but if there was a public event to attend to or a market to be roamed with all of her boys or just one of them, she did not mind people staring. In fact, she especially enjoyed bumping into friends of her mother. Freia and Sigyn still had a complicated relationship and these days, Sigyn was quite satisfied with the love she got from the family she had chosen. She rarely met with Freia. Strangely, Freia was quite distant to her grandchildren, too. Sigyn deemed it the actual coldness lingering within her mother. Iwaldi however, was a frequent visitor. Narvi, Vali and him had the best of times whenever their grandfather chose to show up. "I will make sure to omit choosing any undergarments then, what a nasty hindrance they are," she teased in a whisper.

Together, they approached the cake-stand. The vendors were buzzing even more when the prince and princess approached. Naturally, they would not want them to be dissatisfied with their service. Loki, being a great gentleman, took care of the order. As Sigyn was busy trying to keep Narvi, who was still munching on the remants of cake in his hands, from leaning against her, thus runining her dress. It'd be one more dress destroyed by the hands of her sons. Parent-stuff. She did not mind.

"But, father," Vali begged, staring at the newly acquired cake. Moments before, he had been selfish about his cake, now he was begging. Children. "See, Vali, sharing is caring," Sigyn teased. Narvi was equally giddy about more cake, but frowned as he tried to manage holding the new cake with his stained hands. It turned into a similar mess as the previous cake, but Narvi seemed happy.

Sigyn raised her brows, but tried to bite the cake. Loki pulled it back once, but then Sigyn got a hold. "By Odin," Sigyn mumbled, emptying her mouth before she spoke, "I want to bathe in this cake."
"Me, too, me, too!", Narvi nervously cried out.
"You can't bathe in cake, mother! We are not supposed to bathe in cake, either,", Vali argued.
"Alright, alright," Sigyn apologized, "No one will bathe in cake!"

Just in the middle of their quality time, a girl came running towards them. She was about VAli's age, had beautiful ginger hair, flowers in it. She stopped a few steps away, as if courage had suddenly left her and stared at Loki and Sigyn, a flower in her hand.
"My apologies," a woman, who came rushing to the scene, said, "My lady, my lord, I've been telling her to leave you in peace, but she's out of control. "
"That's alright, maiden. What is her business?", Sigyn asked, smiling at the little girl.
Her mother gave her a little nudge and then, the little girl presented her flower towards Vali, whose jaw dropped as he blushed like he had never blushed before and hid behind his father's legs.
Sigyn's eyes widened as he chuckled. Just like the girl's mother did.

[Loki Laufeyson]

The whispered tease drew a soft murmur of approval from Loki. They could be dirty, of course, as dirty as they wished. No one else would understand. The sort of love that existed between them was unique, and even if one studied it, picked it apart, there would be no words that would accurately describe exactly what it was.

They obtained a fresh pastry and shared it among the family. As the boys enjoyed their pieces, Loki fed another piece to Sigyn, teasing her with it first. Of course, bathing in cake was impractical. However, Loki decided he would have to keep in touch with this baker, since these pastries seemed to be popular among his family, who argued about bathing in it.

As the odd discussion came to an end, a little girl approached them with a flower, a woman - her mother, or a caregiver - close behind. Sigyn responded first, as Loki glanced from his sons to the girl. He could not guess whether she had just wanted to meet them, or give someone the flower. As it turned out, the case was the latter, as she extended the gift to Vali.

Loki stepped to the side and nudged Vali forward a little, telling him that he should accept the gift. "What do you say, Vali?" he suggested gently, further encouraging the boy to be polite. He also gave the mother a slight nod, assuring her that the little girl's intrusion was no bother at all.