The Family Lokison (Part 4)

Loki's Forgotten Affair (SIGYN)

The boys found their friend and I had to let them go; if I tried to keep them with me, I would've paid for it in exhaustion later. So I unpacked our belongings while humming to myself, fruitlessly attempting to settle my nerves and feel secure in our position. There was a nag at the back of my mind that the children could still become targets of former enemies to Loki, but like the other irrational fears that plagued me since we arrived, I buried the thought.

I sang Narvi's favorite tune again and again. His spirit had a way of calming me, even from afar. Perhaps someday we would learn how to bottle his gift of tranquility and cure all the burdens of Yggdrasil.

Loki returned from a short conference with Odin and Thor not long after I left the boys with Modi. He greeted me with a light kiss but excused himself to remove his formal armor and dress in the black tunic brought for him by the palace guard. In all black, Loki reminded me of his younger self, though I still found myself wishing they'd brought something green instead.

We treated the time alone like a gift and kept things quiet. He didn't ask me to stop humming, and I didn't pressure him for details on what was to come. Waiting for Ragnarok was like witnessing the last inhale of a soldier before charging into battle; the calm was deceptive. I busied myself with sewing Vali and Narvi's names into the spare tunics brought for them so they would keep the matching sets straight—a cobalt thread for Vali, and deep violet for Narvi. If they were too distracted to notice the names, perhaps their favorite colors would alert them well enough. I could do the same treatment to their current ensembles when they returned after supper.

The boys returned, and we ate in our chamber, thankfully served by the young woman who brought clothes to us earlier. Whether it was part of Odin's plan to keep us hidden or not, I chose to appreciate the opportunity to keep our presence private until we were ready to face more Asgardians.

A meal. Countless questions from Vali and Narvi. A sunset, not a moonrise. Oh, how things had changed.

My heart and body were grateful for a forgotten luxury—a washbasin large enough to submerge in. Once the children were asleep in their separate room, I lingered in the water, splashing myself and feeling weightless. Asgard was heavier than Vanaheim in a way I would never have noticed without so much time spent on our green realm. Every action took more effort. We were fortunate to have time to acclimate now before the war really began.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer them any better than you can," Loki said when I entered the bedroom after washing up. He sat with his back against the simple wooden headboard. His long legs were straight in front of him, crossed over at the ankle. He was beautiful, as always, with hair flowing over his right shoulder. My husband, the black-clad prince.

Would he ever appear less than magnificent to me? I hoped not.

"Time will make it easier to navigate what they need to know. For now, I think your approach to keep things vague is appropriate." I wrapped my torso in the simple beige robe I brought from home—bathing was the only luxury I dared to wish for when we left. I sat beside him and mimicked his position, crossing my ankles and resting my back. "How are you feeling about all this?"

He hummed a low note and tipped his head back and forth, which usually meant he wasn't sure where to start.

"It's always so complicated, isn't it?"

"Yes and no," he said, sighing and putting his hands in his lap, staring straight ahead. "I'm still trying to convince myself that this is what we've always waited for. Even you and me...when we were bound, the Ragnarok was our potential end—forever, so long as we both survive. I thought that possibility was years away, and here we are. Mere weeks." He took my hand and squeezed three times. "Though I do not doubt we will enjoy centuries together, knowing there will be so much loss on the horizon weighs heavily on my mind."