The invitation to the wedding of the King of Asgard was rather special. The paper was made from the fibers of the branches of the World Tree, the envelope was handwoven by the goddesses of Asgard, and even the wax seal infused with the precious Mithril of the Dwarf Race, had been blessed by the King of Asgard himself.
The square letter had a hard and sharp metallic rim at each of its four corners. At the center, the gold seal depicted a pattern of the Nine Major Kingdoms upheld by the World Tree's branches.
The dark blue envelope symbolized the origin of the oceanic civilization of Asgard. The Divine Power that sparkled on the paper carried the sparks of Thunder, signifying the great Power of Thunder of the Divine King.
A slender and exceptionally long hand lifted away from the surface of the invitation, and another hand received it. The brown hemp cloth and white binding around the cuff indicated that the owner of this hand was a resident of Asgard.
The waiter, dressed in traditional Norse Viking attire, nodded his head towards the guest and said with a smile, "Asgard welcomes you, Queen of the Shi'a Empire. May light always shine on you and your empire."
The Queen of the Shi'a Empire, dressed in a magnificent gold robe, with threads that shone with a dazzling light and vibrant feathers draped over the back of her head, raised an eyebrow slightly at the waiter's last remark.
The Queen remembered that the old blessing of Asgard used to be "May the Father of All Gods bless you forever," or "May the Father of All Gods guide your way."
It seemed indeed that the power transition in Asgard had been completed smoothly. Thor not only gained the throne of Asgard but replaced his position as the God of Thunder with the God of Light.
As the Queen of the Shi'a Empire followed the guide into the banquet, she sighed in admiration. The political structure of the Shi'a Empire was very similar to that of Asgard; both were classical kingdoms led by the Royal Family with actual power.
The admirable and impressive part was that the New God King had perfectly taken over power and the position of divinity from his father. Despite having a younger brother, there had been no conflict over succession. He even allowed Loki to be crowned a king, and a prince with real power.
This demonstrated just how much control Thor had over Asgard, not worrying about sharing power. The people were not perplexed by having two kings, the nobles did not stir up trouble, and the populace did not riot. This was essentially a perfect result for a power transition in a classical royal family.
The Queen of the Shi'a Empire had met Thor once before, but at that time, her estimation of him was not high. To be blunt, she had a very poor impression of him.
Back then, Thor was like most Asgardian soldiers: rough, reckless, yelling and shouting, with nothing in his mind but fighting. He was a far cry from his father's controlled demeanor.
At that time, the Queen had felt a sense of relief. With such an heir, perhaps the later years of Odin would not be relaxed. Most interstellar civilization leaders had thought the same way.
But centuries have passed, even the usually stable Shi'a Empire has experienced various disturbances. The interstellar civilizations of short-lived species have gone through several rounds of chaos, while Asgard, the place they least expected success from, has smoothly transitioned. The Queen felt a sense of anger and unwillingness in her heart.
Ultimately, why Asgard?
Why were they naturally granted Divine Power? Why did they smooth-sail in everything? Why hasn't Ragnarok arrived? Why, despite everyone long anticipating their decline, have they become increasingly strong?
Many interstellar civilization leaders who could have decided not to attend have chosen to come for the wedding of the God King. They came carrying grievances, eager to see what abilities this new King Thor possesses.
Asgard has rampaged outside the interstellar society for thousands of years, creating chaos without following rules. Now, they wish to join the civilized society, surely they can't take advantage of all the good things?
Entering the banquet hall, the Queen took her invitation back from the attendant. She recollected the order of the ceremony within her mind. The official welcoming banquet began at 4:50 pm, at which time most of the chiefs attending the banquet would arrive.
The free mingle of the welcome banquet would last until 6:00 pm, after which the dance party would begin. As the music started, guests would dance with their own partners or with other guests they had met at the banquet. The bride and groom, who had not yet performed the ceremony, would also appear. The lively dance party would continue until midnight.
The next morning, all guests would go to the Fairy Palace Garden for the ceremony. The King and the Queen would hold their wedding ceremony there. Afterwards, the guests would follow the Fairy Palace Square from the east gate of the garden.
The King and Queen would meet and greet the ministers and generals from the balcony on the third floor of the Fairy Palace, then walk out of the main gate hand in hand, crossing the Bifrost Bridge, and wave to all the people of Asgard they had invited.
This was the process when most interstellar civilization leaders get married. First, they entertain the guests who come to the wedding, then they greet the ministers and nobles, and finally parade among the people.
Of course, Asgard adopted a simplified version of these rituals. When the Queen of the Shi'a Empire and her husband were married, the banquet and dance party for entertaining guests alone lasted three days, and the subsequent nationwide procession, even by using teleportation gates to visit only important cities and landmarks, took five days.
Even by consolidating the whole set of procedures within two days, it was considered an unprecedented grand event for Asgard, making even the setting sun on this day exceptionally glorious.
Looking out through the colored glass of the Fairy Palace hall, the Bifrost Bridge, which has stood here for a thousand years, seemed extraordinarily imposing, like the beginning and end of a legendary story.
After scanning the room, the Queen saw many familiar faces. Just as she was considering who to choose as the topic of conversation for the day, her eyes caught a figure.
The pupils of the Queen of the Shi'a Empire narrowed, her heart sank to the bottom. She murmured a name in her heart with a heavy tone unmatched in heaviness before,"...Hela."
The figure was clad in a black backless dress, light as a feather with lace patterns crawling from the chest to the shoulders, transforming into a black veil covering her smooth back.
Silky ribbons flowed through the hollow of her waist, outlining her curvaceous waistline, and tracing down to her voluptuous hip, the falling fabric tightened suddenly, and the glorious fishtail skirt bloomed at the end like ripples under the moonlight.
Feeling the gaze, the woman with skin pale as snow turned around and met the eyes of the Queen of the Shi'a Empire.
Despite the passage of centuries, when the queen locked eyes with the renowned Crown Princess once again, she still felt the profound pressure, as if she were still the small girl waiting for her ascension.
Why is Hela here?!
Bewilderment and fear filled the queen's heart, wasn't she imprisoned for eternity by Odin? A crown prince who failed to ascend, why was she allowed to appear at the new king's wedding?
Indeed, in the memory of the queen and most of this generation's leaders of civilizations, for a long time, Hela was the undisputed heir to the throne of Asgard, Odin's favourite successor, everyone believed she would become the first queen of Asgard.
But like many stories throughout history, rebellion, failure, imprisonment, and then a lifetime in the shadows followed.
Upon hearing the news of Hela's failed rebellion in the distant Palace of Savage Wings, the then-crown princess felt a tad relieved aside from her fear, thankful she was not as impulsive and reckless as that madwoman, Hela.
Upon ascending the throne and stabilizing the situation, the queen often looked back on the past.
In her memory, during Asgard's glorious days, the mighty fleet towered above her land. The Asgardian Crown Princess, clad in her armor, stood at the top of the deck, with countless warriors following her. The direction her sword pointed was the glory pursued by all the gods.
She, who was still the princess of the Shi'a Empire, like all of Hela's followers, couldn't tear her gaze away from the figure, who hasn't been fascinated by others' exuberant spirits and display of unyielding valor in their youth?
The Hela, who was still the crown princess, was fleeting beauty many had admired in their youth, the unspeakable sigh in their dreams many years later.
Yet in the blink of an eye, hundreds of years had passed. The queen had never imagined she would meet Hela here again.
She seemed unchanged, not resembling a prisoner who had been captive for hundreds of years. When her gaze swept by, neither the Asgardians weaving through the hall nor the leaders of civilizations who had traveled long distances dared to meet her eyes.
Thinking about it, perhaps it was because Hela had beaten them, or their fathers, or even their grandfathers, and beyond.
The queen sighed. She recalled her own father, who was the husband of the previous queen and the commander of the royal fleet, being chased hither and thither on the border of the Shi'a Empire by Hela's fleet.
After rekindling the memory and digesting the shock of Hela's sudden appearance, the queen couldn't help but feel curious, why was Hela here? Why would Odin let her be here?
Thinking of this, the queen decided to make up for her regret of not talking to the legendary princess. It would make for a good boast to her childhood friends.
Thus, she took a glass of wine from a waiter nearby, adjusted her skirt, and leisurely headed towards Hela.
But halfway there, she noticed that somebody had beaten her to it - another male figure had arrived in front of Hela before her.
The queen halted her steps, annoyed at her previous hesitation, but also gloating somewhat. This princess was not easy to get along with.
There were no shortage of people who pursued her for her temperament and appearance. But the results... well, it is safe to say that many dads and granddads were beaten by her.
The queen scrutinised this bold man up and down. His clothes were not of Asgardian style, which indicated he was not a God, but as well-travelled as the queen was, she recognized human attire when she saw the baroque-style collar showing from the formal suit.
Good. In the cosmos, few races were physically weaker than humans. The queen could only pray that being locked up had mellowed the princess's temper. Otherwise, if this oblivious human made some offensive move, the banquet would be ruined.
With this thought in mind, the queen felt a sense of amusement, she withdrew her steps, and with a gentle touch, adjusted the feathers by her temples, showing a polite smile to a Prince from some Centaurus Federation who was trying to make conversation.
Despite her continued elegance and courtesy, having been interrupted halfway to her goal made her feel somewhat melancholic, killing her mood.
Though it was unseemly for her to remain silent while leaders of other civilizations continued to implore her attention. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she excused herself to leave the banquet, citing that her dress had wrinkled and needed to be fixed.