Loki: Game of Thrones

Chapter 35 - The Grand Design

Sansa woke up in the morning, and ate her breakfast alone. She was not surprised to see that Loki had gone, but a little astonished to find that breakfast had still been prepared. And that there was a note on her plate. Sansa made a face, picking it up, and opening it.

My dear Lady Sansa Stark,

I hope that you had a wonderfully restful night, and that you awoke refreshed. Like I said the previous evening, I will be away during the day, but should be back about an hour before supper. Spend the day in whatever manner you see fit. There is a library full of books. Some are in my language, or others I happen to know. You might have to dig to find one in the Common Tongue. There is a music room, but the only instrument in there you might be familiar with is the harp. And then there is the weaving room. That was designed specifically for you. Bolts of cloth, all kinds of colored thread, and a loom. I hope that you are happy with it.

I will explain everything to the best of my ability this evening, so please have patience. Just rejoice in the fact that you are no longer in the clutches of those awful people. The front door is unbolted, and nobody from the outside can get in or find it. It is unlocked, but, I do not want you to leave. You step outside those doors, and the cruel, harsh reality is what is going to greet you. The world inside my portis satis tuto is far safer than anything out there.

Very well my little wolf. I will see you tonight.

Sincerely,

Ser Loki Frostborn

Sansa frowned when she saw that he was calling himself Ser Loki Frostborn now, instead of Ser Loki Sells-sword. She would have to ask him about that. Sansa folded the letter and tucked it under her plate while she ate. Once she was done, she carried it on her person as she explored the house. It seemed odd that she could see a semblance of a sky outside the windows, and she could hear the twittering of birds in the air, but otherwise, all other human noises were no longer there. Sansa found all the rooms like Loki said she would, and others. She discovered his study, and saw the papers and books strewn about on the desk. Bottles were littering another desk against the wall, and Sansa studied them. They were all marked in some strange language, but Sansa was aware the type of lettering used was runic. Sansa lost track of time in her endless exploring of the seemingly never ending sanctum, until she heard a boom of the front door closing. Sansa gasped, and ran to the entrance hall. When she finally stopped running, she saw Loki standing there, removing his cloak. He glanced up at her and smirked a second later. "Lady Sansa! I hope that you had a pleasant day?" he asked her as he hung his cloak up on a peg in the wall. Sansa curtsied to him, and her fingers gripped the letter he had left her that morning.

"It was fascinating discovering the different rooms of the house. Where is it in the city? It's so quiet wherever it is," Sansa said. Loki chuckled as he started to walk down the hall, and Sansa followed him.

"It is not in the city. It is wherever I need it to be," Loki told her, and Sansa's brow furrowed. Loki noticed, and gently laid his hand on her arm. "I said I would explain this evening, and I will. Come to my study." Loki led her to his study, and when they arrived, he set her on the long sofa in the corner. Loki poured two glasses of wine, and handed one to her. He took a sip of his, sat down in a chair opposite her, and sighed. "Sorry. Talking to war mongering nobles always makes me thirsty," Loki said nonchalantly. Sansa watched as he took another sip, before she looked at the golden liquid in her glass. Loki observed how she took a small sip, and put the glass on the table beside her. Looking back at him, she sat up straight, with her hands in her lap.

"Now, your master plan?" Sansa demanded. Loki understood her desire, and he placed his cup to the side. He lightly tapped his fingers together.

"My mother gave me a mission-" Loki said, before Sansa immediately interrupted.

"Your mother?! But, you said your mother is dead!" Sansa said back, looking truly confused. Loki raised his finger, and she closed her mouth.

"Please hold your questions until the end," he requested, and Sansa nodded. "My mother can speak to me mentally. It's her residual magic, and she gave me this task." Loki suddenly waved his hand, conjuring a book out of thin air. Sansa studied it; the brown leather binding, the golden etch in the runes, and the thick pages. Loki handed it to her. Sansa looked up, her brows furrowed together. "That is a study of the Nine Realms, the world I come from. The Nine Realms are comprised of nine separate worlds, each housing a specific race. Asgard is the world I was raised in. It is the home of the Asgardians, or the gods."

"So you do have gods where you come from," Sansa said. Loki shrugged his shoulders.

"I did tell Joffrey I was a god. And I am. When I came of age, Odin, the All-Father, decided to make me the God of Mischief. But, that is beside the point, and a story for another day," Loki said, and Sansa studied the book, opening it up. "Vanaheim is the realm of the Vanir, powerful sorcerers. My mother was a Vanir, and she taught me everything I know about magic. Although, she always added I had the gift inside me to begin with. She just coaxed it out." Sansa looked up and smiled slightly. Loki did as well. "Anyway, after that, there is Alfheim, realm of the Light Elves; Svartlfheim, home of the Dark Elves, their evil twins; Nornheim, the home of the Norn sisters, the Goddesses of Fate; Nidavellir is the kingdom of the dwarves-"

"There are dwarves there? Like the Imp?" Loki raised his eyebrow at this.

"Ahem! I happen to like that Imp," Loki told her, and Sansa's lips pursed together. Loki continued, "Jotunheim is the place I'm really from." Sansa heard a dark tone in his voice, and she looked at him. She glanced up at him, and saw that he was pulling on his trousers absentmindedly, and he was staring at some speck on the floor. "It is a shadowy, and cold place. It never stops snowing there. It is the abode of the Jotuns, or Frost Giants as they are more commonly called." He was silent after that, and Sansa knew better than to ask him more about it. He obviously had bad memories about it, and she would not risk his anger again so soon. Loki shook his head, glancing up at Sansa. She was pretending to be focusing on the book. "Midgard is the realm of the mortals like you. They are more advanced than you, but still not as powerful as the Asgardians or Vanir. After them comes Muspelheim, the flame pits of Fire Giants, and their leader, Surtur. And lastly, is Niffleheim, the Realm of the Dead. My daughter, Hela, is the Goddess of the Dead, and the queen." Sansa's head snapped up at this, and Loki looked calmly at her as he propped his head with his hand.

"You have a daughter?!" she asked. Loki smirked slightly as he crossed his legs at the knee.

"I have one daughter, and four sons." Sansa's jaw dropped. "The daughter and two of my sons come from one marriage; while the other two boys come from another union."

"You say union-?" Sansa started to ask, before Loki interrupted her.

"I was not married to their mother," Loki said, before his eyes wandered again. "Sigyn, the Goddess of Fidelity. She died. As did my first wife." Sansa was about to close the book, when she came to a picture of a tree, housing nine separate worlds. She held it close, looking at the fascinating sketch. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that two worlds had been erased from the page. She glanced up at Loki and saw that he was grinning. He stood up, and walked behind the sofa. Standing over her shoulder, he bent down to her level, his mouth close to her ear. Sansa waited with bated breath. Loki's finger pointed to the one realm that had been next to Midgard, sharing the center of Yggdrasil's trunk. Sansa's eyes widened, and she glanced back, looking up into Loki's green eyes. They locked, and they were so close, Sansa could see every flick his irises made. Their lips were only a few inches away.

"What is your plan?" Sansa queried. Loki grinned and placed his lips to her ear.

"I am going to reconnect your realm to the others. And in order to do that, I have to play the game of thrones!"