Sorcha's Secret World, Part 2: Mystery and Mischief.

Chapter 31, Bride- and Groomzilla.

"Play it again?" Fandral asked, still giggling from the last time Cedric showed him the recording on his phone. They were sitting together, squished in one large chair, both blond heads close together as they watched the screen on Cedric's phone.
"So here is the Asgardian choir practising..." Cerdic narrated gleefully. "Here an unhappy-looking Loki walks in and..." they were both quiet for a second. I could hear Loki's scathing voice on the recording, even if I couldn't hear what he was saying.
"And there it is!" Cedric and Fandral burst out in peals of laughter.
"It's magnificent!" Fandral giggled. "Never before have I seen someone reduce a whole choir to tears at the same time with one sentence! It is glorious!"
"It is pretty amazing, right? I'm so glad I got my phone out just in time to record it!" Cedric wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Play it again!"

I glared at them in annoyance.
Any other day, I would have loved seeing those two giggling together, and my romantic little heart would have wondered how long this thing between the two of them had been going on. They were far too comfortable sitting closely together in the same chair, and surely any other time I would have been curious about what I had missed in the weeks I had locked myself away to grieve.
But that day was not today, not when there was only one more day left before my grand state wedding in front of not just the rulers of various realms and nations, but of the gods themselves.

"Don't you two have anything better to do?"
It was not an unreasonable question. It was very early in the morning and I was in the middle of being fitted (yet again) for my wedding dress by what felt like an army of seamstresses.
In the end, the dress had been designed not based on one of Loki's designs, but on my own ideas. I wanted a dress that would remind people of all three realms that would be joined by our marriage. Thus the design had elements of Midgardian, Asgardian and Jotunn fashion combined.
The dress was being made of lustrous snow-white Asgardian fabric, with long billowing skirts that would be flowing out around me as I moved. The fabric was embroidered with snowflakes made out of silver thread. If one looked closely, each snowflake was made out of entwining runes that made up our names when put together. The sleeves were so long and voluminous that they draped unto the floor. The seamstresses were measuring out the fabric for the 20-foot-long train that would be trailing behind me as I walked down the isle of Odin's throne room.
"It would be easier if we..." the Mistress of Seamstresses began again, with an argument we had already had before.
"No!" I snapped impatiently, "the dress needs to be made to my exact specifications, or it won't be suited for purpose!"
"As her Majesty wishes..." the seamstress mumbled. I instantly felt guilty. It was a monumental task to have to create a royal wedding gown in under three days but for that, she could blame Odin and not me, I thought grimly.

"Play at again!" Fandral laughed.
"What are you two even doing here?!" I snapped.
"Being fitted for groomsmen outfits," Cedric replied innocently.
"No, you are not! You are just sitting there, watching that video over and over again! The seamstresses are busy, find something else to do!"
"Like what?" Fandral made the mistake of asking.
"I DON'T KNOW! FIND LOKI! HE'S THE ONE WITH THE PLAN!"
I was quickly losing my temper.
Cedric and Fandral jumped up and began moving towards the door.
"I am not going to find Loki, he scares me to death right now. He just made a whole choir cry," Fandral whispered loud enough for me to hear.
"And you think your odds of survival are any better if we disobey her? She obliterated a whole undead army all by herself a few weeks ago." Cedric reminded him.
"OUT! GET OUT!" I yelled at them.
"Probably not, Loki it is..." Fandral agreed morosely as they walked out of the door.
I'd rather face Hel's whole undead army again than try and get through today, I thought grumpily to myself.

A few minutes after the two left, Sif walked in. My face brightened.
"Ah, there you are! I was just about to send a servant looking for you, I have a question to ask," I smiled.
Sif had been an amazing help during it all. She had practically grown up in the palace and lived here with Thor for the past century, she knew the politics of the place just as well as Loki, and had been taking care of a thousand little things we were too busy to deal with ourselves.
"I have something for you," she smiled back.
In her hands, she held an elaborately decorated lacquered box.
"I know in Midgard you have the custom for the bride to wear 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue', is that right?"
I nodded, I hadn't even thought of getting that organised.
"I assume you have your 'something new' covered with your dress, but I think that what I have in this box might just cover the other three."
Sif slowly opened the box. Inside was a delicate tiara, wrought of silvery metal and decorated with diamonds and blue topaz gemstones.
"Oh, Sif! It is beautiful," I gasped.
"A few months before the Queen passed, she requested my presence in her rooms, " Sif explained. "She gave me this box and told me she had worn this on the day she wed Odin, and that she wanted me to wear it on the day I married Thor.
I scoffed, at the time thinking that wasn't likely to happen. I was convinced Thor would never see me that way. But she just smiled and asked me to take it with me anyway.
The queen was known to have the power of Premonition, and afterwards, I can not help but wonder if she had foreseen what would happen. Perhaps she did, or perhaps she simply knew her son better than he knew himself."
Sif smiled.
"I thanked her, of course. Just as I was about to leave the room she called me back. Loki might have need of it one day too, she told me hesitantly. She asked me to make sure it would reach the right hands if and when the time came, and I promised her I would.
So here is something old, borrowed and blue, if you want to wear it," Sif handed me the box.
"I'd love to! I'd be honoured!" I swallowed at the lump in my throat.
"I'll need it back afterwards, it belongs here in Asgard. But it is Jessie's to wear when she gets married. She is part of the family now as well."
Wordlessly I embraced Sif, at a complete loss for what to say.
"You have plenty to do, I'll leave you to it," Sif turned around to walk out of the door.
"Wait!" I called her back. "I almost forgot to ask you. Would you be my Maid of Honour?"
Sif looked surprised. "I'd be honoured, but I'm not so much of a 'maid' anymore."
I grinned back. "It's okay, the Best Man won't be disappointed, I'm certain of that. Loki should be asking Thor as we speak."
"That's why I heard him whooping from the other side of the palace a few moments ago, I was about to find him next to see what that was about!
I would be honoured, truly, but wouldn't you rather ask Jessie?"
I shook my head. "The day will be stressful enough for her without being in the spotlight like that. She needs to be able to leave and find a quiet place if it all gets too much for her. I would love it if you would."
"Then it would be my pleasure. I'll make sure to return for a dress fitting in a little while," Sif promised as she hurried out of the room.