The Heart of Everything (Sigyn)

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

Did he regret his confession, or was her merely chiming in to Sigyn's attempt at moving away from the topic? She was kind of relieved. Of course, this night was turning out strangely delightful. It was more than just delightful, actually. It was quite intense. She felt like she was not even in charge of her own mind anymore, Loki was so incredibly easy to talk to, no matter the personal, heavy topics they had ended up talking about. But somehow, this put her into a strange situation of responsibility, didn't it? He had shared secrets with her. Secrets she'd appreciate, keep safe. But as he had put it before, maybe he was at her mercy. If she behaved like a traitor and go tell whomever she pleased to tell, who would believe her anyway? It'd be the word of a maiden against the word of a prince, a prince that had many haters.
She had no intention of spilling the beans, however.

Sigyn cleared her throat, smiled and put her hand in the crook of his arm. "I will tell a lady, should I happen to meet one.", she joked. And they got going.
"It is probably not going to be long. My family resides south of the palace, very close.", she explained. Frigga had made sure to live close to the palace of course. Her family was wealthy, the mansion was impressive, even if not as impressive as the palace. She doubted it would make an impression on Loki.
"How are you going to escape having to make explanations, Loki?", she asked, chuckling. Sigyn had not made her mind up just yet. She doubted Freia would leave her be, but she'd take care of that when it was due.

[Loki Laufeyson]

There was a path that led to the front yard from the courtyard, relieving them of the necessity of going through the great hall. There would likely have been no one their but servants cleaning up, but, as Loki knew, servants talked. He wondered whether Odin and Frigga had gone to sleep already, without having sent anyone to look for him. Perhaps they had stayed awake.

Loki chuckled at Sigyn's joke. He considered her a lady, of course, though they had already had a bit of discussion on whether she truly was one. It was proper to think so, and to behave so. Yet Loki truly felt she was deserving of the title.

He was a little glad to hear that she lived close by, and a little disappointed. The disappointment stemmed from their conversation having to come to an end sooner. However, the short distance also meant it would be easy for them to meet again, and it meant there would not be much of a walk home for him. He was beginning to feel a bit sleepy.

"How are you going to escape being hung over?" he teased in response to her question before providing a response. "I am not often asked about my activities. As long as I am not getting into trouble, my parents ask few questions. They will be curious, for certain, but they will not force me to explain." He did not mention his brother, for he was not sure how he would get away with not telling Thor. The blond warrior was much more inquisitive than their parents.

In fact, if Thor could just keep his mouth shut, Loki probably would tell him where he had been. But Loki did not trust Thor not to tell everyone he came across, especially when he was filled with wine.

"So, then, perhaps we could meet tomorrow - I mean, today." He had forgotten that technically, they had long since passed into the boundaries of "tomorrow." They had left the palace grounds, so it was time to start talking about their later plans before they reached her home. "At the lake, or as you wish."

[Sigyn Laufeyson]

"It's simple: I won't allow any hang over to torture me," Sigyn said, maybe even sounding a bit cocky. Had she just winked at Loki? She'd drink a lot of water and exercise. Sigyn rarely slept in and her mother barely allowed her to. Possibly, there would be a long conversation anyway, well, a monologue raining down upon Sigyn about why she had returned home that late and who she had been with. She'd deal with it.

Loki was very eager to see her again. He did not even care to wait for even a day. It was a bit overwhelming, suprising. Yet, strangely, Sigyn could not wait. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to him.
"Meet me an hour after midday by the lake.", she whispered, inclining her head. "And thank you, for the pleasant night."
Sigyn made a step backwards and inclined her head, the ghost of a mischievous smile appearing on her face. And then, she simply vanished.

Stil standing in front of him, yet being invisible to the eye, Sigyn smiled to herself. Of course, his magic exceeded hers, but she could not have stopped herself from showing off just a little. She smiled an invisible smile and eventually, turned to head back home. The sound of her feet quickly hitting the ground were audible, even though there was still no sight of her.

And this weird grin would not leave her face for a while.

[Loki Laufeyson]

What kind of woman had he stumbled across? She winked at him, confident in her ability to outwit a hangover.Most women he had met just moaned about having one and used it as an excuse to stay in bed all day. He liked Sigyn's response better. But he would get to see just how she worked it out, if they decided to see each other later.

Unlike Sigyn, Loki would likely sleep late. It was not a habit of his, but he felt he had earned it. He had put up with the charade of hosting a ball all night, up until Sigyn of course. Being that diplomatic was serious business. And he had been on his best behavior, too; not one trick had been played that day.

So he would sleep until the late morning, at which time he would set about preparing to meet her again. He was loath to let time pass, indeed. For one, he wanted them to be able to pick up where they had left off easily; too much time to think about it and perhaps they would foolishly regret having been so open. For another, what if some other man swooped in and swept her off her feet? No, that would not do. If she would belong to anyone, it would be him.

"I will be there," he assured her as she took a step away. He would have thanked her in return, but her smile threw him off. No one knew that sort of smile better than he. That was when she disappeared. Loki knew the trick, of course. But still, she had caught him by surprise, and an appreciative smile lit up his face. Well played, my dear. Well played.

As he heard her walk away, he too turned and began the short trip home. Once upon the palace grounds, the guards and the few servants who still milled about caught the rare sight of Loki smiling genuinely. There would be whispers, he was sure. Well, let them talk. They knew nothing.

He reached his chambers without incident, and without running into any family members. He had half expected Frigga or Thor to be waiting for him. No matter. He would be alone with his thoughts, and there would be pleasant dreams tonight.

[Fin Loki.]