Love, Magic and Lies (COMPLETE)

Chapter Thirteen; The Wedding

Once she'd heard Frigga speak his name, Sif had wept uncontrollably.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever made such an emotional display of herself in another's company, especially in front of one such as as Frigga.
But her gentleness and compassion was remarkably soothing and made her feel far less foolish and embarrassed as she could well have been had it been anyone else.

She had draped her arms around her and brought her comfort in the way only an understanding mother could.
And as she held her, it had all come flooding out. Gushing like a river that had burst its banks....

Sif spoke of her fears, torment, confusion and heartache.
It was a great relief to get it off her chest. Her secret feelings had been an increasingly heavy burden and at last the weight had been lifted.

Amidst her flowing tears, Sif tried to put into words the way she had been trying in vain to convince herself that she could not possibly love the troubled Prince.
As she voiced her most intimate feelings; describing how her heart seemed to beat a thousand times all at once just at the sight of him, and how she practically had to remind herself to breath whenever he looked in her direction, Frigga had smiled. Her own eyes twinkling and stated that,
"One can try to ignore the signs...but you know inside, butterflies don't lie."

Those words though so simple, undeniably made perfect sense.

"I once thought that my love was for Thor.."
Sif had pondered aloud,
"..but as I grew I came to realise that I do love him, but not as a lover."

Frigga nodded in apparent agreement,
"There are many differences between loving someone and actually being 'in' love."

Sif had to temporarily choke back further tears, in order to speak coherently,
"I used to think I felt great pain when Thor seemed to tire of me and spurned me in favour of Freya...but that was nothing compared to what I feel now..."
She stared up helplessly at Frigga's kindly face which was blurred and distorted through her tearful eyes,
"..Thor and I were together once and we realised we do not really want each other...Loki and I never have or will be a couple. It is though he is slipping through my fingers...and into another's."

At that point she broke down again and cried as though her heart might break, though she felt certain it already had.

Frigga hushed her and stroked her hair gently.
"My dear Sif, where there is love, there is hope....you must remember that. "

Sif shook her head, defeated,
"What hope can there be now? My feelings are unrequited, and I have already lost him."

At that point Frigga had given her a poignant look,
"You haven't lost him...he does not yet belong to another-"

"He's never even been mine to lose though really.."
Sif mused sadly,
"...you cannot lose what isn't truly yours to begin with."

Frigga smiled knowingly,
"Oh forgive me Sif, but how little you know the object of your affections!"

Sif blinked, unable to keep her brow from furrowing,
"I do not understand-"

"Of course you don't. Loki is a complicated fellow to say the least and always has been. Not many understand him, even I have struggled at times."

Her face fell now, her expression saddening and Sif's heart went out to her. This woman loved Loki as her own son, despite him having inadvertently caused her no end of suffering.
"But I know certain aspects of his character..."
She continued softly,
"..and I dare say I am certain of one thing, if no other..."

She took hold of Sif's hand again and with eyes filled with sincerity, proclaimed,
"...you have always had him!"

Those words were still ringing in Sif's ears now.
Frigga hadn't supplied her with any sufficient explanation as to why she believed this to be true, other than claiming to know her son well enough, and that it was a mother's instinct.