Warning: there is some racy talking as well as sexual behavior in this chapter.

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Freyja turned over again, still not used to sleeping without Brokk. They'd been married for only a few months, but she had gotten used to sharing a room with him, even as he weakened. In the next room, she could hear Eitri moving around as well. Sliding out of bed, she decided that she might at least be able to keep him company.

Slipping into his room, she watched him for a moment before he noticed her. He had lost weight over the months of Brokk's illness, and plainly hadn't slept well since he passed. Freyja had a sneaking suspicion that if she wasn't there, he wouldn't attempt to eat or sleep at all! He noticed her then.

"Lady Freyja?" His voice was dull. lifeless.

She moved to sit beside him. "Why have you started calling me that again, Eitri? I asked you to use my name years ago." She smoothed a wisp of hair back from his face.

He caught her hand in his, clasping it. "I thought you wouldn't want me to address you familiarly, now that things have changed."

She shook her head. "He would not want us to drift apart... and neither do I. We still have each other, Eitri, and we both miss Brokk."

"I wonder what he would say if he could see us," Eitri whispered.

"He'd probably ask if he could join us," Freyja laughed, sliding under the blankets.

"I don't know if I quite feel like it, Freyja."

"That's alright. I just don't want to me alone." She turned and snuggled against his chest, pressing herself tightly to him. "Did I make him happy? At the end?"

Eitri smiled. "He said- some of his last words- that you were the best thing to ever happen to him."

Freyja's eyes misted over, and she clung to Eitri, seeking comfort. He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. She buried her face into his shoulder, pressing herself tightly against him. He was still for a moment and then his hand lightly brushed down her back.

"Thought you said you didn't want to," she murmured, knotting her fingers into his hair.

"Changed my mind." Eitri's voice was husky as he kissed her.

#

"Well it looks like you had quite the night!" Gaea exclaimed as Freyja wandered into the kitchen where she and Sigyn were breakfasting.

Freyja yawned and then nodded with a satisfied grin on her face. "I had a wonderful night!"

Sigyn smirked but shook her head. "I don't understand you sometimes, Mor."

Freyja raised her eyebrows. "Sigyn, you've been married now, surely you understand why I seek pleasure? You're not a maiden anymore!"

Sigyn winced.

"What don't you understand?" Gaea interrupted.

"Why..." Sigyn hesitated. "Why you like it so much. You talk about having pleasure but I've never really..."

Freyja frowned. "Did you not like making love with Theoric?"

Sigyn shook her head. "It was pleasant enough, I suppose, but you always look as though you're glowing the next morning. I never felt that way."

Freyja and Gaea glanced at each other.

"Sigyn, are you telling me that you have never experienced an orgasm?"

Sigyn's went scarlet and she hesitated a long time. "I don't know. My experience was only with Theoric."

"You've never pleasured yourself?"

"Mor!" Sigyn covered her ears. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"You brought it up," Gaea reminded her.

"And it is of concern to me if my daughter has never had real pleasure!"

"I am rapidly deciding that I don't want to discuss this." Sigyn buried her crimson face in her hands.

Gaea patted her head, her expression amused and sympathetic. "Freyja, I thought you would have taught your daughters to be bolder than this!"

"So did I. But Sigyn's always been rebellious; she just loves to spite me by being prim and proper," Freyja said teasingly. "I swear, I don't know what to do with her!"

Sigyn groaned theatrically in despair. "Leave me alone!"

Freyja and Gaea smothered laughs, though Gaea quickly grew somber again. "Sigyn, don't you think you should talk about this?"

"Why?" Sigyn finally looked up. "Theoric is gone. There is no-one lined up outside my door to marry me. I doubt that any men would so much as look at me these days. Except for reasons I don't want them to look at me for."

Freyja frowned. "I'm sure that there is some lovesick fool out there just waiting for you to look up and see him. Just waiting to sweep you off your feet and into the marriage gazebo."

Sigyn snorted softly in disbelief. "And we can resume this talk when I find him."

"Maybe we need to get more eyes searching," Gaea suggested.

Sigyn shrugged. "I'm not sure I want to marry again."

Freyja's brows rose. "Thinking of following your mother's path?"

Sigyn was silent.

Gaea's eyes locked on her daughter's. Freyja winced as she realised why that had been tactless.

"Sigyn, I didn't mean-"

"Why not?" Sigyn interrupted suddenly, her gaze locked on her hands. "I'm already a whore. What difference does it make if I enjoy being one?"

Gaea put her hand over Sigyn's. "Having some madman force you does not make you a whore."

Sigyn finally looked up. "Is that why I never enjoyed it? Because my first time was like that?"

Gaea shook her head slowly. "My first time was not by choice, either. In fact, Chthon held me for months, maybe even years, repeatedly forcing me." Both Sigyn and Freyja went pale, but niether could find the words to speak. Gaea squeezed their hands. "But I have learned to enjoy intercourse. Perhaps you and Theoric were simply not matched physically."

"He had you for months?" Freyja mumbled.

Gaea sighed. "Yes. But let's not talk about that. Sigyn, are you seriously considering the lifestyle of your mother?"

Sigyn's gaze dropped again. "I don't know. I'm supposed to be the goddess of fidelity!"

"You didn't choose that title," Freyja reminded her. "But all the same, this isn't something to do lightly."

"You don't think I know that?" Sigyn snapped. "You don't think I've seen the way people treat you because of your reputation?"

"Then don't be like me."

"But I want to!" Sigyn buried her head in her arms. "At least, sometimes..."

Freyja sighed heavily. "I don't want that for you."

"I know."

Freyja gently stroked her daughter's hair, pleading silently with Gaea for help. The Elder goddess shrugged helplessly. She wasn't entirely certain what to do with Sigyn. She was very much like Freyja in her stubbornness... and very much like Atum in repressing her emotions.

"I just think that maybe if I was involved with other men, I could stop thinking about him."

Gaea's brow furrowed, but Freyja knew who she was talking about. "Loki."

Sigyn's head bobbed in a single nod. "It's unhealthy, the way I'm so... obsessed with him. He's my brother!"

"You didn't know-"

"It doesn't matter. He is, and I always thought I was in love with him."

"Maybe if you left Asgard for a while, explored the other realms," Freyja offered tentatively.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

Gaea reached across the table and put her hand over Sigyn's. "You could come to Midgard."

Sigyn shook her head. "Everybody dies on Midgard."

"Everyone dies eventually, Sigyn." Gaea's eyes were sad.

"I don't intend to walk down the street and look at children who will be dead within a century," Sigyn snapped back. She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this."

Gaea put her hand on her shoulder. "Please, consider it?"

Sigyn shrugged.

"What are you going to do then?" Freyja asked.

Sigyn's expression was confused and frustrated. She threw her hands up into the air. "Sleep with hundreds of men and have fatherless children, just like you!"

"This is going nowhere, you're just getting upset-" Gaea started.

"If you're determined to do that, Sigs," Freyja interrupted slowly. "I can talk to Eitri. If you're going to have illicit affairs, I for one would at least like to know that your lovers treat you with some respect. And Eitri will never try to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with, and he'll make sure that you enjoy it."

Sigyn's jaw hung open and she stared at her mother in shock. She began to say something, thought better of it, got to her feet and stormed off, slamming the door behind her. Freyja and Gaea both heard the sob catch in her throat.

"Was that wise?" Gaea asked.

Freyja shrugged. "Maybe it will snap her to her senses. And if not, then I was serious. I'd rather her be with Eitri than some dirty pup that things that he has a right to do whatever he wants and leave her completely unsatisfied."

Gaea shook her head. "Freyja... you should try and work out what's really troubling her."

"She doesn't talk to me."

"Maybe it's that you just don't listen."

Freyja sighed heavily. Silence filled the room.

#

Sigyn wandered aimlessly for a while, unable to stop herself thinking of Loki. I shouldn't feel this way, I know that, he is my half-brother... This train of thought led to thoughts of Atum, though, which didn't improve her mood. She found herself back by the lake she had almost burned to ashes weeks ago. She still remembered how angry she had been, how the light and flame had surged up inside her...

Thinking of it had been a mistake. Her hands were glowing again, flames licking at the air. Fortunately it seemed to be heat-free this time, but how long would that last?

She tried to think of cool things – water, snow, ice – in the hopes it would douse the energy. Thoughts of how Loki had calmed her before floated in her mind, and the light began to turn to fire. No, no... snow, ice, cold... just think of cold! The flaring light encompassed her body, and she shut her eyes against the glare. It faded shortly afterwards. She shivered, and looked around.

"Well, I wanted ice..." she muttered, stunned. Somehow, and she had no idea how, her abilities had brought her to Jotunheim. Now what was she supposed to do?

There's no use in standing out here to freeze!

"Hello?" she called, but only silence answered her. She looked around, but there didn't seem to be any landmarks that she could see. She swallowed. Could she make her way back to Asgard with her powers? Quickly she discarded the idea. She had no idea how to use them!

"Only one thing to do," she told herself, looking at the sky. She found the sun, mentally marked its position, and began to walk, stopping every now and then to call for help.

A wind started to blow shortly after she started walking, and she pulled her thin up over her head, shivering. Now I could use some fire! But though she concentrated, nothing happened. Sleet began pouring on her, and then it turned to snow and then hail. Sigyn ran blindly, desperate to find some sort of shelter. She shouted herself hoarse.

I'm going to die!

Something ran into her. Something big and blue. She stared up, blinking at the ice coating her lashes. A Jotunn stared down at her. It said something, but Sigyn couldn't hear what. Then it picked her up. Sigyn buried herself as much as she could in the fur coat it was wearing. She bounced in its arms, the hail pounding both of them. And then the hail and the wind stopped.

The Jotunn put her down, and she pushed back the frozen shawl from off her head. She was in a building of some sort, and there was a fire in the center of the room. She immediately went to it, holding out her hands. Turning to look at her rescuer, she recognised the warrior who had escorted Sif, Thor and herself to see Loki when they visited several months ago.

"Thank you," she said.

The Jotunn nodded, looking uncertain. "You are our queen's cousin?"

"What? Oh!" she shook her head. "Right. Loki is queen. Yes. Yes, I'm his cousin." And his sister, but I'm not telling you that! "My name is Sigyn. What's yours?"

"Helblindi. I am King Angrboda's cousin. How did you get here?"

Sigyn shrugged. "I'm not certain... But I suppose you'll take me to Loki and Angrboda now?"

Helblindi shook his head. "My lady, we are at a hunting lodge, three days from the city. And that was the start of a storm that will last at least a week, if the clouds read right. I'm afraid you and I are stuck here."

"Oh."

Jotunn and Vanir stared at each other for a long moment before Helblindi roused himself. "Sorry, you must be freezing! Your clothes are soaked..." He looked around helplessly. "I'm afraid I've got nothing you can wear... Here," he shrugged off his coat and held it out, "you can wrap yourself in this..."

Sigyn swallowed, fighting down her anxiety. She did not want to be naked alone with this man! Without the coat, he wore only a strip of furs around his waist... But if he wanted something, I couldn't stop him no matter how many clothes I was wearing, she told herself. And I'll freeze to death in this gown!

She took the heavy fur, and Helblindi turned his back. She turned around as well, draping the fur over her shoulders as she removed her dress. Her under dress was fairly dry still, though, so she left that on as she spread the gown out to dry and wrapped herself up in the fur. It was thick, soft and warm. She turned again, sitting next to the fire.

"You can turn around."

Helblindi did so. He looked awkward. "I'm afraid I don't have very many mushrooms. The fire is going to have to stay low."

Sigyn nodded. "That's fine. Thank you."

Helblindi sat down. An awkward silence fell. Sigyn struggled to come up with something – anything! – to say. The Jotunn wasn't looking at her, and she wasn't looking at him. But the silence seemed oppressive and she needed to break it!

"How is Loki doing?"

"He is an excellent queen for King Angrboda. Together they are building great things." His gaze dropped to the fire.

Sigyn's brow furrowed. Was that a hint of jealousy that she heard in his voice? "That is good."

"Yes. Jotunheim needs them."

This time, Sigyn was certain she knew what she heard. "But not you?"

Helblindi looked up sharply. He opened his mouth in protest, but then swallowed and nodded. "Jotunheim has never needed me. Nobody has."

"I know how that feels," Sigyn replied softly. "Nobody has ever really needed me, either."

"I cannot imagine how that could be true..." Helblindi said. "But I also cannot imagine why a woman as beautiful as you should look so sad."

Sigyn blushed slightly. Flattery had always been poured on her mother and sisters; never her! "Beauty is no cure for life's ills. Besides, my sisters are much prettier than I am."

"Then they must be carved from diamonds."

Sigyn couldn't help but giggle, her face going even redder. "That's a fine silver tongue you have, there, Lord Helblindi."

Looking closely, Sigyn saw his skin had turned slightly turquoise. She remembered Loki saying that was what colour Angrboda turned when she blushed... She swallowed, pulling the fur around herself tighter.

"I saw the way you looked at him," the Jotünn said abruptly. "Loki. You love him, don't you?"

Sigyn was so shocked she couldn't answer.

"The look in your eyes..."

"I-" Sigyn stammered. "I didn't know until a few weeks before he came to Jotunheim that we were cousins. We were very close growing up. I thought I loved him... But that's obviously a moot point now. He's married."

Helblindi nodded slowly. "I know how that feels."

Sigyn's brow furrowed, and then she understood. "Oh. Angrboda?"

Helblindi nodded. "I can't stop thinking of her... Though I know it is wrong. She has never felt that way for me. She would have died before..."

Sigyn sighed. "Life isn't fair."

"My lady... I hope I'm not being too forward..." Helblindi started nervously.

Sigyn bit her lip, wondering what he was going to ask.

"How are you related to Queen Loki?"

"Oh!" That was not what she had been expecting... she couldn't really tell the truth, could she? As far as she knew, the Jotünns still believed Loki to be Laufey's son! "His mother's mother was my grandfather's first wife," she settled on. It was a possibility, after all! "We didn't find out until we looked into it deeper."

"I see..." Helblindi murmured. "And how did you fall in love with him?"

"He was one of my few friends growing up. I've always been a... reserved person. I hardly talk this much to my own family, let alone strangers!" she laughed lightly. "You're something special, I hope you know that."

Helblindi blushed turquoise.

"Anyway. Loki taught me magic when I was thirteen. We spent a lot of time together. And it... just happened. From the moment I saw him I knew that we were bonded... I just didn't realise it was by blood!"

"I don't remember falling in love with Angrboda. She was always there in my life. She's so strong. So full of confidence. She would talk back to my mother, even if it earned her a slap... I always wished I could be frozen like her, not this melted man I am," Helblindi spoke bitterly. He frowned. "Why am I telling you this? I don't even know you!"

"Maybe it's because we're in similar situations?" Sigyn suggested, and then a thought crossed her mind. She bit her lip. Would she be brave enough? If both she and Helblindi were faced with being unable to stop thinking of a person they couldn't have? But could she? A Vanir and a Jotünn? It's happened before!

But I've never! I've thought about it but that's all! Just thought about it... Except when she went to the dwarves, and thought she would have both of them in you at the same time. I wasn't going to stop it. It's only because Brokk pointed out that I didn't really want it that it didn't happen.

"Lord Helblindi-" she started, just as Helblindi started, "Lady Sigyn-"

Both stopped and chuckled. Sigyn smiled at the Jotünn; he smiled back. And she saw in his eyes – thought she saw – the same question that was ragging on her mind.

"What were you going to say?" she asked.

He went an even paler shade of turquoise. "I... I probably shouldn't... I was going to ask if I could kiss you."

Sigyn went red, but she laughed gently. "I was going to ask you to kiss me."

"Because I think, maybe, it will help..." Helblindi slowly moved around the fire, closer to her.

"...to help you stop thinking about her?"

"And maybe..."

"...to help me..."

Helblindi was close now. He knelt beside her. He cupped her head in his massive hand and leaned in close. "... to stop thinking of him."

His breath was cool on her lips as he moved closer. His brows were hairless, she noticed, but the lashes around his blood-red eyes were longer even than hers; must be to keep the snow out of them. The raised, darker pattern on his skin was sharp lines, contrasting with the gentleness of his lips as he pressed them to hers.

She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent; like fresh clean air. He was colder than she expected, but her lips still tingled from his touch. He pulled back, his fingers still knotted in her hair, and smiled at her.

"Thank you."

Sigyn nodded. She wanted more. She stared into his eyes, and knew that she saw it in him as well. This time she was the one to kiss him. She dropped the fur entirely, wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing his head down to hers. It was like embracing a snowman but even as she shivered heat surged in her. She kissed him hard.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her up to him, holding her so tightly that she could feel the contours of his tendons. Wherever he touched her skin, she felt it freeze and then grow hot. She gasped, stroking his neck and shoulders.

"You smell like... I don't know what, but you smell good," Helblindi muttered. Abruptly, he pulled back. "Am I making you too cold?"

Sigyn shook her head. "I like it."

He brushed her hair back from her face. "You're warmer than I expected."

"Am I making you too warm?"

"No. I like it. Helblindi leaned forward again, but stopped. "You're Loki's cousin."

"So?"

"So he's the queen..."

"Doesn't matter."

"He could have me killed."

"He doesn't decide who I make love to. I do."

Helblindi 's arms were tight around her hips. "Make love?"

Sigyn swallowed, hoping that she hadn't just ruined the moment. She nodded slowly. "If you want to..."

He responded by laying her down in the furs. Every thought fled before her desire; she didn't know at that moment why she had ever been hesitant to do this!

Hours later, she lay with her head on his cool chest. His fingers twined into her hair and the furs were up around her neck.

"My mother always told me I was worthless and that I'd amount to nothing," Helblindi murmured. "Everybody has always called me slush, a melting man or a liquid boy. I suppose they're right. I am weak."

Sigyn traced his chest muscles with her fingers. "There are different types of strength in the universe."

"Perhaps... But I have never done what I wanted, really. I have always put duty first. Duty to Jotunheim. Duty to my mother. People laughed at me for not standing against her, but it is a child's responsibility to support their mother, isn't it? I want to be a good, responsible person."

"I have always felt that way, too. My mother always called me her little rebel because I never really rebelled."

"My mother's dead. I know I shouldn't be glad, but I am. It means I'm free. But it also means I don't really have a purpose anymore... just duty to Jotunheim. And Jotunheim has no need of me."

Sigyn pushed herself up onto her elbow . "Until tonight I have never done anything that I haven't thought about. And you know what? I like it. Acting impulsively."

Helblindi smiled and kissed her. "I like you acting impulsively, too."

"So let's do it."

"What?"

"Act impulsively. Let's forget about duty, and society, and rebelling or thinking or being responsible. Let's just get a ship, you and me. Let's travel the stars and visits worlds that have no names. Let's break away and just leave!"

Helblindi's eyes widened. "You and me?"

Sigyn nodded.

"Just leave? Just like that?"

"Why not? I know where the deep-space ships are kept in Asgard, they're easy to fly-"

"Steal a ship?"

Sigyn laughed. "Why not?"

"We don't even know each other!"

"That's what makes it so brilliant." Sigyn sat up. "We don't know each other, we don't have to be ourselves. We can be anybody we want. I could call myself Amora and you could call yourself Skurge."

Helblindi laughed. "What sort of names are those?"

"Untested names. Names that we can create as we go." Her eyes were shining with possibility, a smile breaking across her face.

He tangled his fingers into her golden hair and kissed her. "That sounds..."

Sigyn bit her lip.

"Why not?" Helblindi laughed. "Let's do it!"

It was then that the door flew open. A flurry of wind and snow rushed in, making the fire flicker. Sigyn shivered and dove beneath the furs, peaking up over Helblindi's chest to see who just entered. Her heart froze. Loki cast back his hood, shaking snow from his hair as Angrboda did the same.

"Forgive us, cousin, but we got caught in the snow, and this was the closest-" Angrboda stopped as she realised what she was seeing.

Loki turned to see what had caused her to fall silent, and his eyes widened. His gaze flickered to Sigyn's dress, and back to her face. Sigyn gulped, pulling the furs up to her neck. Helblindi sat up, doing the same.

"Hello, Lady Sigyn," Angrboda greeted, her voice harsh and cold. "I didn't imagine seeing you here!"

Sigyn gulped again... Now what?

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To be continued in Serpent's Coil, which will be posted on Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl's profile.