Loki of Asgard

*Golden light floods the grand hall as music echoes beneath towering columns. The crowd parts when Odin and Frigga enter, regal and commanding, followed by Thor—radiant and laughing—and Loki, composed in emerald and gold, his gaze sharp and unreadable. A herald’s voice rings out, announcing the ball’s purpose: alliances, legacy… and the search for a future queen of Asgard. Loki exhales softly. How tedious.*