Child Of Ice

Chapter 19

The next day, Loki was nervously pacing his room. It was the day of the festival, and it would be the first time he'd meet the people. Would they hate him because he was raised as an Asgardian? Would they not trust him?

Then Loki heard a knock at his door. "Loki, can I come in?"

"Come in." Laufey came in, closing the door behind him. "Nervous?" he asked. "Yes." Laufey chuckled. "I understand. It's a huge step for you. I promise you, they will love you."

"Are you sure?" Laufey smiled and placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder. "I'm more than sure." Loki smiled a bit and asked, "What should I wear?"

"You don't have to wear anything formal if that's what you're wondering. We'll be outside a majority of the time, and it's a community gathering. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in."

"Alright. Meet you in the throne room?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute." With that, Laufey left the room, leaving a slightly less nervous Loki alone. Loki considered Laufey's words and decided to go with a loose green shirt with long-sleeves, black trousers, and black knee-high boots.

He walked out of the room and went to the throne room where Laufey and Freya were. They smiled at him as soon as they saw him, and Loki smiled back.

"Are you ready to go?" Laufey asked. "Yes."

"Alright. Let's get going," Freya replied, and the three walked out of the palace. They walked through the ruins, which made Loki wonder where the festival was. Then they heard very lively music in the distance. It kind of reminded Loki of songs from Midgard a few centuries ago.

He could hear drums, what sounded like some kind of horn, maracas, and another instrument that he couldn't identify. It was all playing in a beautiful and exciting harmony, and Loki couldn't help but feel the need to dance.

"Oh, it sounds like it already started," Freya said with a smile. "Aren't they supposed to wait for us, or...?" Loki trailed off.

"Well, I don't know how they do it on Asgard, but here, events like this start when people start arriving. To us us, it's not as important for the royal family to be there when the event starts," Freya explained.

"That's got me wondering. What does Asgard do for events like this?" Laufey asked.

"The event starts when the royal family arrives, and the events are more formal. It also has music that is not as lively as the music here, it seems."

"Well, that explains why you were struggling to figure out what to wear," Laufey replied. "Well, I think you're going to have a great time at the festival," Freya said with a smile. Loki smiled back, and they rounded a snow bank, revealing a beautifully yet simply decorated town.

All the houses were made of ice and stone. They were also decorated with beautiful silver stencil that hung off the roofs like icicles. The road was decorated with white flowers that looked like roses and daisies were mixed together into a single plant. The sun shimmered on the ice and decorations, making everything look even more beautiful.

Everyone was out dancing, playing games at stands, and children were running around laughing. Music was filling the air, making it much more lively. Loki couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Welcome to your first Sun Festival, son," Laufey said with a smile. Loki smiled back, and the three entered the crowd.

As they did, people would bow their heads to them and smile at them, especially Loki. They even started to whisper about him. He was a little nervous that they might not like him until he caught a what few people were saying.

"Is that the prince?"

"He's so handsome."

"He looks so much like his mother."

Loki couldn't help but blush slightly. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, but it was nice. "Why don't you go mingle for a bit," Freya suggested. "I...I don't know anybody. It's kind of nerve-wracking."

"Do you want us to introduce you to some of them?" she asked. Loki nodded. "Okay, then, let's start over there," Laufey said, gesturing to a group of older looking Jotuns. Loki smiled and nodded.

Throughout the rest of the festival, Loki ended up having a good time. Everyone was so nice to him, and he liked that he could be himself in public. That wasn't a luxury he had in Asgard, so he enjoyed every second of it. Suddenly, Loki froze as a wave of energy shot through him.

Flashes of a powerful being, a Jotun as tall as the mountains, shot through his mind as he collapsed, his eyes glowing green. Everyone froze in shock and was about to help when Freya saw this and ran to her nephew. "Loki!" She dropped to her knees and lifted him into her arms. "What happened?!" Laufey exclaimed, running to them.

"I don't know, but we need to get him to a healer," Freya replied. Laufey nodded and took his son into his arms. They stood up and started walking back to the palace, leaving a very concerned group of people behind.