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CHAPTER THREE:

↳THE FEAST

        THE FIRST EVENING OF FESTIVITIES BEGAN WITH A CEREMONY AND FEAST that was one to marvel at. Each Realm would bring baskets of food for the feast to help bring their own cultures to the other. It was the one time for peace. The one time each could show off and celebrate one another. 

However, only five of the realms ever participated within the past thousand or so years. Asgard would always host the celebration while Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, and Niflheim would all travel to Asgard to celebrate. Midgard, Muspelheim, and Jotunheim would not participate. Midgard was centuries away from learning about the expanse of space and the worlds that it held. While Jotunheim would never be spoken of. Muspelheim had not spoken to Asgard in years after the King of Asgard had defeated After the Battle of Jutunheim, no one uttered about that Realm– it was to be forgotten. The Frost Giants were to be forgotten.  

Enya sat at a bench towards the West side of the Grand Hall, with Isaiah beside her. Her arms were crossed and placed on the wooden table, bored. She didn't want to be here. Not when her direct line of sight was to the front of the room. Where the royal Asgardians were seated. She glared at the front, noticing how Loki was purposefully avoiding her stare. And how the mischief in his eyes screamed loudly. 

Enya desperately wanted to comfort the distraught Loki. He was pushing away his feelings, she could tell. He pushed away what he couldn't control and would focus on who he could control. 

That made Enya nervous. 

"Princess Enya," Isaiah tried catching her attention but it took a few attempts before she could rip her gaze from the one she was interested in. 

"Yes, Isaiah?" She asked smoothly, pretending as if he didn't know what she had been doing. He had been her loyal guard for long enough, he knew her the best. "What is it?" 

"We are next to go up and greet the Asgardian Royals." It was a display of power, in some way, but also out of respect. 

Enya groaned inwardly, ready to stand up. Isaiah stood first, reaching out a hand to the Princess. She placed her hand delicately into his gloved hand and stood up gracefully. Both moved slowly towards the front of the room as the leaders bowed and were dismissed. 

"Odin," Enya greeted as she curtseyed in front of the royal family of Asgard. It was all pleasantries and tradition. She had already said hello to most of them, safe the King himself. "It is good to see you again."

"And it's a pleasure to see you again, Princess Enya." Odin was wise, nodding his head in greeting. He had been ruler for quite some time. Odin knew more than Enya did and his eyes were not deceived when her gaze wandered over to his young son. For how long Asgardians and the rest of the realms lived, it was by a rare chance that Loki was only one human year younger than Thor. That was one of the factors why Loki could not be the true King. 

"Glad to be here for the Feast," Isaiah nudged her and she began to babble. He was trying to tell her it was time to leave and retreat to their table. 

"We shall talk later this week," Odin promised with a small smile. Enya froze at those words, the King was up to something. 

Enya and Isaiah left the front, returning to their seats at the large tables filled with edible delicacies. An hour had passed after everyone had stuffed themselves full of warm comfort food and red mead. 

A staff hit the marble floors, echoing loudly throughout the large banquet hall. Its reverberation quietened the crowd, everyone glancing towards the front to King Odin. 

º    º    º

30 MINUTES PRIOR

Banners hung on both sides of the banquet hall, each table full of decorations and food for the guests who would be arriving at any minute. 

A silhouette of a person stood in the back of the room, behind the Asgardian Royals table that was on a slight platform. Its height made it more distinguished from the other tables that were below it. The gold plates and cutlery were another obvious indicator. 

The person who hid in the shadows was wearing a helmet of some sort, as if horns were protruding from the helmet. 

Another figure approached the dimly lit person, the newcomer was Thor. It was obvious by the hammer he held in hand, twirling it in the air. He came by to stand by his brother, Loki, who surveyed the empty hall. 

"Nervous, brother?" Loki asked, calmly. He was still furious from his talk with Enya. He was in no mood for a talk with his older brother but let him speak. 

"Have you ever known me to be nervous?

"There was the time in Nornheim..." Loki alluded.

"That wasn't nerves, brother. It was the rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?"

An attendant approached the brothers with goblets of wine. 

"Thor," Loki started. "As I recall, I was the one who veiled us in smoke to ease our escape.

"Some do battle, others just do tricks."

The servant tried holding in a laugh. Loki noticed, immediately frowning. Why would the lowly commoner be eavesdropping on the royal's conversation? With a flick of his wrist, the goblet in the servant's hand glowed and a few snakes slithered out hissing. The attendant gasped, dropping the goblet and rubbing out of the hall, visibly upset. 

Thor shook his head as Loki chuckled, amused with his own tricks. "Loki..." Thor warned sternly, his brows furrowed. Loki sighed, upset that his brother was not enthused with the illusion, and turned the snakes back into the wine glass. "Now that was just a waste of good wine."

"Just a bit of fun," Loki grumbled. 

Thor noticed Loki's helmet, putting on his own golden helmet.  His own helmet was different from Loki's with eagle wings attached to the sides.

"Nice feathers," Loki grinned at his brother. His helmet looked much better than Thor's. 

"You don't really want to start this again, do you, Cow?" Thor taunted his younger sibling. Cow was a strange nickname, to say the least, especially as an insult. 

"I was being sincere!" Loki put his hands up defenselessly, as if.

Thor snorted, knowing his brother. He of all people! "You're incapable of sincerity." As the God of mischief and lies, Thor knew better.

"Am I?" Loki glanced at his brother. "I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you." 

Loki truly meant those words. However, in a different way. He left out the other meanings to those words. 

He had been waiting for this day but because he believed he himself could be King. Yes, Thor was his brother and best friend. But Loki was jealous of his brother for stealing the crown from him.... stealing Enya from him.

Thor took in his brother's face, sees no trace of lies or mischief. That was rare. But he could not tell for sure. Thor reached out, clasping Loki on the shoulder, grinning.  "Thank you."

"Give us a kiss," Loki teased.

"Stop," Thor groaned, shoving his cheeky brother away from him. He adjusted his outfit which was gold and gleaming in the dim candlelight. Candles decorated each of the tables in the hall, giving it a nice glow. 

Thor makes the final adjustments to his ritualistic clothing.

"How do I look?" 

"Like a king," Loki stated softly. It was true, the nobility radiated from him, as if he was meant to be king. 

They heard the front doors to the grand hall open and guests poured in, chattering away as they took in the feast. The two stood to the side of the Asgard family's table, ready for the nightly feast to begin.

"It is time."

"You go ahead and sit," Thor instructed his brother. He noticed his parents entering from the other side. Loki looked at his brother, hesitant to continue on without him. 

"I'll be along. Go on." Loki left Thor behind, sitting to the left of Frigga. Frigga smiled lovingly at Loki, reaching out to grab his hand. 

Loki loved his mother. 

Little did he know what would happen the next few days with the announcement of Thor being the next king.