Unforeseen

Ain't No Party Like an Asgardian Feast

Loki had mentioned before that feasts on Asgard were rather huge, lengthy celebrations.

I hadn't realized before that that had been an understatement.

The feasting hall, which had seemed massive enough when it was empty when Loki had given me my tour of the palace, but it seemed even larger somehow as the Asgardian people reveled inside it. Hundreds of Asgardians, from the nobility and ambassadors to palace servants to those in the army to townsfolk, milled around the columns and long dining tables, eating, drinking and being merry. Some danced to the music being played on flutes, lyres, and drums, while others had large crowds surrounding them as they told tales of battles fought and won. People were chatting and laughing every way you turned, all dressed in their finest with brilliant smiles. It all seemed so grand and sumptuous and busy! Far too much to simply be celebrating me!

No matter where you went, there were trays upon trays, platters upon platters, cauldrons upon cauldrons, and barrels upon barrels of food and drink. There were huge slabs of beef and pork along with whole-roasted boars, ducks, pheasants, chickens, and turkeys along with every kind of game imaginable and huge dishes of fish and other seafood that I didn't recognize. To my surprise and intrigue there was a huge eel-like, serpentine sea creature that had been roasted and was displayed artistically like a sea serpent on a bed of vegetables with a miniature ship in its char-blackened mouth. Vegetables were cooked in every way and every few feet there was another pie of meat or fruits, or a casserole-type dish, or dips, or breads and rolls, or cauldrons of soups and stews. Fresh fruit were displayed with decorative flowers and pastries and cakes and puddings were constantly being served. Along the walls were barrels of beer, mead, and wine that had been brought up from the palace's cellars.

At the beginning of the feast I had been sitting beside the Allfather at the head of the table. The king had said a few words, mostly congratulating me on my new title as a lady, introducing me once more and declaring that I was, of course, the guest of honor for the feast. He'd then thanked his subjects, before releasing the crowd of his people loose to celebrate. Since then, the chaos of the Aesir's merrymaking had been nonstop.

In all the madness, I seemed to be rather large center of attention. I'd hope that I would be able to enjoy the party rather quietly, sitting beside Odin-Loki and just watching the festivities play out, but that was not the case. I was soon swept from the head of the table and into the party's fray by Lady Freya and Lord Frey. I could've sworn that I had been coaxed into tasting every single delicacy and dish there was to try by Freya. I was so full that I felt bloated in my corset. Besides trying to stuff me like a pig, Freya and her brother seemed to be intent on introducing me to just about everyone in attendance. I curtsied and smiled as they introduced me with both decorum and friendly enthusiasm to such and such noble or such and such soldier in the Asgardian army or such and such lady in waiting.

No matter where I turned, there were dozens of people standing there , looking for my attention. Everyone seemed to desire to introduce themselves to me, though I supposed that many were less interested in the introductions than in getting a closer look at the Midgardian Lady. Most of them were curious about me, eagerly asking questions about Midgard and what I thought of Asgard and the palace. Some were cool towards me, refined and superior-minded, looking down their noses at me or seeming to find me to be quaint. Others, like General Tyr, only desired a moment of my time for propriety's sake.

As I was being dragged by Fulla, who had found me when I'd slipped away from Freya when she'd been in deep conversation with one of her ladies in waiting as she waited for her twin to bring her a glass of wine, onto the dance floor to join a dancing circle, Tyr stopped me. He bowed his head to me, offering me a politely proper, yet throwaway greeting before he turned back to his conversation companion. Fulla had been flustered by Tyr's imposing personality and stern gaze, quickly squirreling me away from him as soon as she could without either of us being impolite, but once she had practically tugged me into the circle dance much of her meekness fell away as she eagerly helped me through the dance. Even though I had just been bestowed a title, this felt like the first time Fulla had opened up and relaxed around me as if there was no difference of position between us. That feeling alone encouraged me to laugh with her and the other young nobles and servants and townsfolk as we spun around and around to the musicians' jovial tune!