Consequences

11

Sunny had heard Loki's message that he had found Sigyn, that she was in the palace. She'd relayed the message to Frigga and Freyja. Both had immediately stopped searching and all three women had run from the Witching Rooms, Freyja leading them to her chariot. Sunny had, of course, seen Freyja's cat-drawn-chariot before, but had never ridden in it. She giggled a little in spite of herself as she watched the creatures bound through the streets as they headed for the palace.

When the three women arrived, they found Odin holding Amundr as he woke up, Brynja sitting on a bench that had been brought in for her, and Thor pacing. Upon seeing Brynja, Frigga ran to embrace her daughter. Sunny followed her close behind. Freyja looked at everyone and asked what the heck was going on. Thor filled her in with what they knew, including the pieces that Brynja had overheard in Sigyn's muttering.

Freyja sighed, "Great, we have a mad witch, a door we can't enter, and Loki under someone else's control. This absolutely cannot be good."

Thor called for a guard, asking him to tell Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun that they had new orders to call off the search; the situation had changed.

There was silence in the throne room until Sunny spoke, "So what do we do now?"

Odin sighed, "My girl, the only thing we can do is wait to see what Sigyn will do. We at least know where she is. Until she reveals herself, we have little recourse other than to keep watch on the door."

Brynja leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, "Poor Loki," she said softly.

Frigga patted her back consolingly, "We'll get him out of this...I don't know how, yet, but we will."

Freyja knelt down in front of Brynja, "Child, I need you to focus on me- can you show me where the door is?"

"But I really don't want to go down there again."

Freyja placed a hand on Brynja's temple, "You don't have to. Clear your mind and show me." Brynja closed her eyes and envisioned ever step down to the cellars and to the hidden door. Freyja broke the connection and stood up, "Excuse me, but I have work to do." She left quickly, hoping she could break the enchantment on the door or at least discover what kind of protections surrounded it so she could work on figuring out how to get around them.

That evening, Frigga and Sunny sat across from each other at Brynja's dining room table while Amundr played with Katja in the other bedroom. Thor paced. Odin stood at the windows and stared at the setting sun. Freyja had gone to back to her Witching Rooms. Brynja had needed to take a break.

Outside in Frigga's gardens, Brynja sat on a bench near the roses and cried. She knew that Sigyn was not going to be kind to Loki. She also knew that some of what she would force Loki to do would be humiliating and painful. Brynja was afraid she would get only a shell of a person back, if she got Loki back at all.

She heard the calling of crows and looked up, knowing that many feet above her, her father stood at the window, watching something, possibly watching her.

She heard voices approaching and a rustle of someone treading recklessly into the bushes along the path, "Tell me you want me, my sweet," a familiar voice said.

Another familiar, yet strained, voice replied, "Yes, I want you."

Brynja dropped her head in her hands, knowing who she would see in only a few short moments. Sigyn, leading Loki by silver chains, passed the rose garden and caught a glimpse of Brynja before Brynja could disappear. A wicked smile crossed Sigyn's face as she led Loki to an adjacent section of the garden.

"This will do. And don't argue, it is the perfect spot. Now show me you want me. Here, on the grass."

Brynja stood, holding back tears, and walked quickly from the garden as she heard Sigyn whispering something unintelligible, moaning after. As soon as she was in the palace, she retreated to the nearest room, placed a silencing spell around herself, and screamed.