Dreaming in Blue

XIII - Princes and Oracles

Before they even realised it, the fireworks had started once again. Nina was quick to put on her dress and pull the front pieces of her hair into two braids that joined in the back of her hair and rested on top of her now waist-long curls. As soon as she left the bathroom in her ball clothes, Loki's attention was completely turned towards her.

"You look beautiful," he remarked, as she spun around smiling, watching her loose green dress twist around her ankles. She looked like royalty, and Loki would know.

"Thank you, good sir," she replied, sounding more posh than she usually did. "You don't look bad yourself," she gestured to his outfit; dark green leather pants and shirt, and a cape that was green on the outside and yellow on the inside.

"Come here, I got you something," he told Nina as she approached him in the middle of the room. He grabbed the small head chain he had bought earlier that day and placed it gently around her head. It fit her perfectly, the small green and yellow gems resting all around her head, the biggest one in the middle of her forehead at the level of her hairline.

"Fancy," she commented. She smiled at him with a genuine 'thank you'.

The two left their hotel room quickly after that. Loki teleported them to the front doors of the palace where the party was being held. The place was huge, with golden and quartz doors and big pillars that held it up. They approached the small, nervous man that stood at the door.

"I'm sorry, but only people that were invited can come into the Grandmaster's party," he told them, still shaking, as if he thought they were going to hurt him for not letting them in.

"I'm sure he would reconsider once he knew who we were," Nina argued, not missing a beat.

"Who... who exactly are you?"

"He is Prince Loki," Nina lightly gestured to Loki who was standing straight next to her. "Crowned Prince of Asgard and heir to the throne of Jotunheim," she presented him. The small man's eyes widened at the mention of Jotunheim.

"Laufrey's son?" he asked quietly. Loki nodded. The man visibly gulped. "Follow me."

"This was easier than I thought it would be," Loki whispered in Nina's ear as they followed the small man inside the palace and through the golden halls. Nina nodded, finding it a bit weird that the man didn't seem to recognise Asgard, but definitely knew Jotunheim.

Their walked came to a stop in front of a pair of golden doors. The two imagined that's where the so called Grandmaster would be holding his party as the man asked them to wait for him to come back. They watched as he entered the room and closed the doors behind him.

"There's something off about this," Nina commented as soon as they were alone.

"What do you mean?" Loki frowned, knowing how good Nina's intuition usually was. She shook her head with a grimace.

"Why was I told never to spend time in a trash planet? What's so special about this that the Time Lords thought it was dangerous?" She wondered out loud.

"I honestly have no idea," Loki told her. "Maybe we'll find out when this Grandmaster person comes to meet us." Nina nodded. As soon as he said that, the doors before them opened once more, revealing a tall man with blue hair, beard and nails. He wore a golden coat with a high collar that reached his cheekbones.

"I hear we are in the presence Laufrey's son, that must be you," he extended his hand towards Loki, who hesitantly shook it.

"You must be the Grandmaster," Loki guessed. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, really? What have you heard?" Loki froze, not knowing what to respond.

"Only good things," Nina stepped in. "Specially about your breathtaking parties." The Grandmaster laughed and waved his hand in the air almost dismissively.

"You're right, they are breathtaking. Where are you from, also Jotunheim? If so, you definitely don't look it," he told her. Nina shook her head.

"Gallifrey," she told him. The Gransmaster's smirk fell.

"The last child of Gallifrey," he said, his jaw on the ground. "I've heard about you. The Seer." Nina shook her head, not noticiong the look of confusion on Loki's face.

"I'm not big on that title," Nina dismissed it. "Just call me Nina."

"Welcome in, then, Nina," he said, gesturing towards the room. "And Loki, Prince of Jotunheim." Loki granted him a strained smile before following Nina inside. He didn't exactly like to be reminded of his origins, but he couldn't show his dislike because he had only been able to get in because of them. "Welcome to the party."