Thor, dressed in golden armor and wearing a red cloak, grabbed his long spear in a huff and stormed down the corridor. The attendants and etiquette officers around him all hung their heads and didn't dare to look at the enraged king.
When he arrived at a room, Thor took a deep breath, adjusted his face, and gently pushed the door open.
But the scene inside left him dumbfounded.
Frigga was as beautifully radiant as always. But, strangely, she was holding a crocodile in her arms. Stranger still, this crocodile was wearing a white fluffy skirt and a freshly braided flower crown on its head.
Thor even saw a glint of tears in the eyes of the crocodile.
However, Frigga just smiled and asked, "What's up? Thor, why did you come here now? Didn't you go to the martial arts field?"
Thor coughed twice, and moistened his lips. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Frigga, stroking the crocodile's head, pointed to the sofa and said, "Sit down. What's on your mind? Did you have another quarrel with Sif?"
"No, it's not." Thor shook his head and said, "Sif has been busy chasing that suit-wearing Loki and beating him from Asgard all the way to Jotunheim. Also, the martial field has been occupied by Viking Loki. They are holding a traditional Viking barrel contest. I haven't had time to go there yet."
Just as he was speaking, Young Loki walked out from the next door, holding a stack of sheepskin papers. He handed them to Frigga and said dejectedly, "This is punishment copying."
Frigga took the sheepskin paper and said gently, "I'd better not find out again that you've copied your homework…"
Her gentle voice not only made Young Loki shiver, even Thor slightly leaned back.
He still remembered that when they were kids, he and Loki teamed up to cheat on their old Norse grammar homework and were caught by Frigga. The gentle and beautiful queen of gods then made two hamster wheels using magic, almost making them run their legs off.
"Considering your age, you should be studying lesson ten in your cosmos. How come you still don't know it?" Frigga furrowed her brows and said to Young Loki, "I remember distinctly that you should know all the lessons. Why do you need to copy homework?"
Young Loki opened his mouth to respond. Actually, he had been busy trying to kill Thor and hadn't learned from lesson eight to lesson ten. However, when he saw Frigga's smile, he didn't dare to utter the truth. He could only lower his head and sadly say, "I left home for too long, I've forgotten."
"It's okay, we'll relearn." Frigga pulled Young Loki over, touched his head, and then said, "It happens that this Loki here hasn't had a grammar lesson, you two can learn together."
As she finished, she lifted up Crocodile Loki. Young Loki and Crocodile Loki looked at each other and both sighed dejectedly.
Seeing Young Loki's docile appearance, Thor couldn't help but chuckle. Young Loki shot him a glare, but when he saw Frigga from the corner of his eye, he just humphed unhappily and went back to his room to write his homework.
Frigga's gaze fell on Thor, she asked, "What really happened that made you rush over here right after lunch?"
"Nothing major." Thor waved his hand in irritation, "Someone reported to me that Loki threw a tantrum, telling them to go home. They said that Lord Loki is so spoiled, he can't do anything without his servants. It's some kind of nonsense."
Frigga quirked a brow, she understood Thor. Although he was loud and boisterous, he was very cultivated, hardly rude and never resorted to cheap insults unless it was absolutely necessary.
So, she asked curiously, "Why would Loki want them to go home? If he doesn't like his servants, he can replace them. Does he intend to take care of his own daily life without them?"
"That's not the point." Thor leaned back in his chair and said, "Mother, haven't you noticed? The folks in the Fairy Palace are too lazy. There's not so much work to do, yet there are so many people to do it and they still can't do their job. What are they doing?"
Frigga smiled faintly, produced a teapot out of thin air, and poured a glass of water for Thor. While keeping her eyes on the falling water, she softly said.
"I understand they are away from home for work, so I don't demand much from them. They've also gotten used to being nonchalant, so minor mistakes are inevitable."
Thor's eyes flickered. If this happened when he was still a prince, he would have thought that Frigga was trying to defend the servants.
But now that he had been the emperor for so long, he had indeed grown a little. So, he tentatively asked, "Minor mistakes?"
"Nothing much. When this little crocodile first came, it rampaged around and broke quite a few of my cups. I asked them to bring a few new ones over, but they still haven't done so. You see, these are made by my mana."
Thor felt even more frustrated. He humphed, "The other day, Loki suddenly wanted to wear the crown and asked his servants to help him fetch it. But his etiquette officer said it's not a big deal and there's no need for a crown, so he didn't fetch it…"
Frigga's tone remained gentle. She handed the cup to Thor and then asked, "Where was Loki going?"
"That's the problem!" Thor once again thumped on the armrest of the chair, "They didn't even ask Loki where he was going. They just assumed it was not important and there was no need for the crown."
Frigga smiled again and said, "I always tell you, for formal occasions, you should wear the crown properly. But if it's not a formal occasion, there really is no need to wear it all the time."
However, Thor did not feel comforted at all. He thought to himself, Frigga was right. She did educate them that way when they were kids.
But Frigga was their mother and also the queen of Asgard. It was her responsibility and right to educate the princes. What about the servants and the etiquette officer? What right did they have to educate Loki?
At that moment, Thor heard a slight noise. He immediately turned around and shouted at the door, "Who's there? Come out!"
Unexpectedly, when the door opened, there were two servants. They laughed awkwardly, bowed, and said, "Her Majesty Frigga asked us to bring something over."
Thor turned to look at Frigga; Frigga frowned slightly but said, "You all should go out first."
The attendant hastily closed the door. Thor inhaled deeply, gritting his teeth, "How can an attendant in a country's palace dare to eavesdrop on the King's conversation?!"
"Alright, don't be too angry. Didn't Loki punish them already? If you can't stand it, just issue an order to Loki. That will legitimize his actions." Frigga quickly tried to appease him.
"That's the problem." Thor rubbed his forehead, apparently having a headache. "My Queen, as you know, I haven't been King for long and the people in the palace are still the same – all appointed by the Father of All Gods. If I replace them, and they whine to the Father of All Gods, what can I do?"
"Besides, me give Loki commands? If giving him command works, where do all the pranks come from? You also know that Loki never listens to me!"
Thor seemed somewhat at his wits' end, he closed his mouth tightly and said, "Let's just hold the wedding first. Once Sif becomes the Queen of Gods, she can naturally manage these matters... however, it's too rushed and unfair to Sif."
"Do you think Odin and Loki won't help you?" Frigga asked, watching Thor's eyes. Thor looked away while responding, "This trivial matter, why would they need to help?"
But Frigga revealed a smile and said, "Even the smallest issue is causing you distress. Thor, you've always liked to put up a brave front. Sometimes, relying on others isn't a bad thing, especially your family."
"Even if they're willing to help me, how can they?" Thor spread his hands and said, "The Father of All Gods doesn't want to intervene over my head, and Loki's commands don't carry enough authority. In the end, won't I still need to handle it?"
However, Frigga shook her head and with a smile in her eyes at Thor, she stated, "You underestimate your father and your brother. In some ways, they are much better at this than you."
Thor was somewhat puzzled, and after leaving Frigga, he remained perturbed by this matter. In the following time, Loki dismissed everyone around him like a man possessed.
In the Fairy Palace, it was not that nobody wanted to leave, but it seemed like Thor's spirit had possessed Loki. Every day, he patrolled the palace with his hammer in hand, sending down a lightning strike towards anyone who dared not to work properly.
Young Loki followed Loki around every day like an obedient servant, brandishing his authority. Even if he had killed Thor, he wouldn't have received such treatment in Asgard.
In the following weeks, the inhabitants of the Fairy Palace were in panic, but everyone thought that Loki was just putting on an act of violence for a while. Surely, Thor or Odin would teach him a lesson once they realized.
However, to everyone's surprise, one sunny day, the Father of All Gods suddenly issued an order to summon all the generals of Asgard to the Fairy Palace to watch a ceremony.
The attendees were a little confused. Could it be that Thor's wedding was going to be held this soon? But Sif was still completing her inspection tour outside, she wasn't back yet. Even if Thor was alone, how could a wedding be held?
Unexpectedly, upon entering the main hall, they found the ever-dominant Odin standing in the main position. Thor stood on Odin's right while Loki was standing in the center of the hall, facing them both.
The atmosphere inside the main hall was severe, and everyone hid their expressions. Though, they still found satisfaction in the thought that Loki was finally going to be brought to account.
But the first words Odin spoke left all in utter disbelief.
"Today, Loki will be formally promoted to being the Prince of Asgard."
After the crowd dispersed, the orchestra entered the scene, followed by goddesses offering spring water and sweet wine. The ceremony was identical to a coronation.
While some were still in a daze, some of Odin's old subjects sighed under their breath. Then, they began to cheer for Prince of Asgard, just as they would during a coronation, through angry shouts and rhythmic striking of weapons on the ground.
Amidst the cheers and the showers of flowers, Loki held his staff, knelt on one knee, and waited for Odin to place the crown on his head.
Loki's eyes were calm, he did not seem happy about this, nor did he even seem to notice the cheers. The rays of light slipping through the glass in the palace fell on him and adorned him like a colorful feathered robe, making the crown's glow even more brilliant, spreading layer upon layer.
Then, he heard Odin speak.
"Today, with the will of Asgard and King Thor, we are performing the coronation for the Prince of Asgard."
"Loyalty, justice, bravery, the crowned one will guide the wheel, and step on the ocean waves."
"Just like our ancestors, leading the gods to the end of the ocean, a land of glory and magnificence."
Odin modified Thor's coronation speech and read it. Loki thought Odin had finished and got up to pay his respects.
But suddenly, Loki heard Odin call out a name.
"Let us congratulate Asgard's new Prince — Loki Odinson!"
Loki looked up, the shock and disbelief in his eyes, was greater than the snow outside the window.
As the bright snowflakes fell, the sigh of a young prince drifted away with the wind, going farther and farther.
"For the glory... of the Northern Gods."