Sigil: The Agent of Mischief

Chapter 4 - Acceptance & Denial

Emerald stood outside the great doors of the throne room and waited for the horns to blow.  She was wearing the same outfit she had worn the night before.  Emerald had decided that she liked it and would make it her new superhero suit.  Clint would love it.  Today, her hair was down, and she had the golden circlet with the V, on her head.  The servants eyed her as they walked by, but Emerald ignored them.  She had no false hopes about today.  Loki had hinted that even though Odin was going to 'publically'accept' her, the feelings of the people would be harder to change.  Emerald simply looked at it as a challenge worth her time.  She would not go out of her way to make the people like her, but if anything, she would show the caring side she had inherited from her mother. 

That was when the horns were blown and the doors opened.  Emerald breathed in deeply and thought, You're a daughter of Loki!  You own this!  Emerald walked forward and entered the hall.  People turned to look at her.  Emerald knew that she was on display: the Daughter of Mischief, the Spawn of Loki.  Emerald had been called many other things, but she decided to forget them all.  As she approached the throne, the silence became deafening.  When she reached the throne, she bowed to Odin and then went down on one knee.  The people gasped.  It had been said that at his trial, Loki had refused to kneel to Odin, and now his daughter was kneeling before the All-Father.  Odin banged Gungnir on the ground, and the vibration went throughout the entire hall.  "Emerald, Lokisdaughter, you have been offered a place in our family: in the family of Odin.  This is a priceless gift we offer you freely.  What do you say?" he asked her.  Emerald felt anger rising up inside her. 

They offer me a priceless gift?!  Seriously?!  Odin is a stuckup, no good-!

Emerald looked up and saw that everyone was waiting for her answer.  The silence was now filled with awe and terror.  Would Emerald be a dutiful girl, or would she be like her father and publically humiliate Odin.  Emerald decided to stretch it out and let the suspense start to kill them.  The minutes dragged on, till finally Thor glared at Emerald and she smiled.  "I accept All-Father Odin," Emerald responded.  Odin smiled and there was a wave of clapping.  The trumpets blared again, and Odin came down and raised Emerald to her feet.  Thor came down as well and they both put their hands on her shoulder.

"Welcome to the family," Odin said with a kind voice.  Emerald gave him and Thor her winning smile back, but underneath, she was seething with anger.  She felt like a volcano about to erupt.  Thor pulled her in and embraced her, the people laughing at this show of affection.  When he let her go, Emerald had to straighten her circlet.  Odin turned her around and he raised her hand over her head.  The cheering began again, and Emerald wondered how much of it was actually genuine.

The feasting began almost right after the ceremony.  It was truly raucious, and unlike anything Emerald had ever experienced on Alfheim.  She was not very fond of banquets, for, at the last banquet in Alfheim, she was only 15, and a elven nobleman tried to assault her.  He had wound up severely injured for his troubles, but tight, loud, and boisterous environments filled Emerald with a feeling of dread.  She sat at the main table with Odin, Thor, and a few other people.  Sif was present, but she kept her distance from Emerald.  Some other people gave Emerald looks, and Emerald knew that Volstagg and Fandral had most likely told them about what Emerald had done to Sif.  She did not care.  Let them beware! 

That was when a goblet landed right next to her on the table and Emerald straightened up.  Fandral was standing next to her with a smile on his face.  "Mind if I join you?" he asked brightly.

"Just as long as you don't get fresh," Emerald warned and Fandral laughed.

"I take it as a poor unfortunate has already tried that?" Fandral queried again.  Emerald nodded.  "What happened to him?" Fandral asked as he sat down next to her.

"His mind was in shreds, his muscles were spasming, and he was drooling on the floor," Emerald responded.  "Basically he was a vegetable."  Fandral frowned at this and took a sip of his wine.  "Are you scared now?" Emerald asked with a smirk.

"Maybe a little," Fandral replied and Emerald laughed maniacally.  A few people looked in their direction but Emerald did not care.  Fandral soon saw that she was playing with him and he laughed to.  "Your father would say things like that when we bothered him," Fandral remarked absentmindedly.  Emerald looked up at him, and when Fandral glanced back at her, he saw a gentle look in her eyes.

"How close were you and my Dad?" she queried.  There was no guile in her voice, just curiosity.

"The truth?" Fandral asked in return and Emerald nodded her head furiously.  "Before your father... betrayed Thor the first time... the Warriors Three and Sif were his closest friends."  Emerald glanced at Sif and snorted derisively.  "I know you don't believe the last part, but it was true.  Sif and Loki were friends.  I can't remember when she started distrusting him, but he picked up on it, and started treating her differently," Fandral told Emerald.  She nodded and sighed. 

"Thanks for that Fandral, but, I think I'll retire," Emerald said as she stood up.  Fandral rose as well and gave her a bow.  Emerald turned to walk away when suddenly another lady ran into her and spilled her wine on Emerald's trousers.  Emerald froze as did everyone near her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the woman told her nonchalantly.  Odin stood up and Thor did as well.  Emerald simply touched her pants with her hand, and the stain of the alcoholic beverage disappeared.  She glanced up at the woman and saw a malicious glint in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it.  It's not like it can't come off," Emerald responded as she started to walk by her, but the woman caught her hand and turned her around.

"You're the banished prince's daughter, aren't you?" she queried.  Emerald pulled her hand out of the woman's grip and frowned. 

"I guess I'm not the only one who's new in town," Emerald responded and a ripple of chuckles came from the table.  The woman blinked a couple of times and Emerald walked away.  The Asgardian nobles parted for her as she exited the room.  As she walked back to her chamber, Emerald felt her skin heating up.  She willed herself to control it until she reached her room.  When she was finally back in her bedroom, she grabbed her circlet and threw it across the room.  It hit the wall with a clang and she threw herself on the bed.  Emerald knew without looking at herself in the mirror.  She was Frost Giant blue again.  Emerald rolled over and cried into her pillow.  She missed Clint and she missed Loki.  Why couldn't they be here with her?!