Loyalty and Mischief (WIP)

Chapter 31 - You are lost, hope is gone, but you must go on

34 weeks

It was almost a month since the Allfather fell into the Odinsleep. Loki managed well the first weeks, but it was getting more difficult to maintain a constant full body illusion whilst also conjuring a double. He kept the meetings and petitioners to a minimum to preserve his strength and magic, delegating wherever he could, and either Loki or 'Odin' were more frequently absent from the hall during meal times. But no one asked questions so far.
The Allfather was, after all, a busy man, and it wasn't uncommon for him to dine alone in his study to keep up with his work. And after what had happened to Sigyn, everyone understood she couldn't exert herself and that Loki preferred to eat privately with her in the comfort of their chambers. Whether his motive was genuine concern and love was, regrettably, still discussed among many.

The Queen also showed signs of fatigue. She worked tirelessly to force Odin to wake up from his slumber, since it took longer than it ever had. Adding this to all the extra work usually done by the Allfather and helping Loki maintain the ruse that Odin was doing well, Frigga grew frustrated with everyone around her. She yelled at Odin's sleeping figure, scolded the servants for the tiniest things, and had little to no patience in dealing with Thor and Baldur. 
Much to everyone's surprise, the eldest and youngest Odinsons kept themselves away from daily court life. Sometimes, they didn't even show up at all. When they did, they failed their duties miserably. Thor had already fallen asleep twice when taking over the petitioners, and Baldur only bothered to put on his princely face when the task at hand involved magic, which he suddenly excelled at.

Whatever had happened in Jotünheim — and yes, people did knew since Volstagg had found it necessary to turn their failed folly into some epic quest where they found resistance from a hundred Frost Giants, even though he didn't recall a single thing of what actually occurred — it was clear to everyone the Princes had changed. Their eyes bore a dark glistening, their voices a deep echo, and their bodies somehow seemed different as well. The healers found nothing amiss with them, but both Frigga and Loki remained wary of them.
The Crown Prince and princeling had attempted several times to contact Sigyn after she awoke, demanding an audience. Loki had urged her not to talk to them alone and had even fought with his brothers when he found them skulking about the apartments one late night. It had become so troublesome he'd asked Fandrall and Rúna to stay with Sigyn when he was away and ensure no one entered their rooms without his permission.

Despite sensing the change within her brothers and worrying for them as well, Sigyn found Loki's overprotectiveness vexing. She understood, of course, but he didn't even allow her to take a simple walk outside in Frigga's garden. And he certainly didn't allow her to use her magic.
Sigyn offered a few times to help with the illusions or to let her double pose as Odin for a while so he could rest, but Loki would have none of that. He was so afraid something would happen that he restricted her every move. Sigyn had never imagined him to be this stifling and often sought her mirror-world to have just a few minutes with no one trying to coddle her, simply lingering in that dark void with all the portals to all those different places. 

In those moments of calming solitude, Sigyn took the time to mull over her vision. It clung to her like an annoying itch. Nearly every night, she saw the flames, the blood, her husband and brothers suspended in the air. And that haunting laughter...
The few times she'd jolted up from her nightmare, she'd convinced Loki their daughter was moving a lot. By some miracle, the baby always gave a fierce kick just when Loki placed his hand on Sigyn's belly. It still took another few minutes of Loki constantly asking her if she was all right while subtly checking for any bleeding before he would finally relent and go back to sleep. 

Perhaps Sigyn was wrong to keep the recurring vision from her husband. But if Loki knew she still had it, he would only grow more concerned about her. He would do everything to keep her safe and not heed her warning, and then... No. She had to do this on her own.
Thirty years ago, the visions had stopped after meeting the Ancient One. Sigyn had learned then what she was supposed to learn. That these visions continued now, one month after Thor and Baldur were saved, could mean only one thing — the Odinsons were still in danger.