Odin walked down one of the prestigious corridors of the palace of Asgard. Passing guards in gold armour who patrolled in the afternoons, each stoned faced and expressionless. After months of planning and persuading, Odin had finally done it, he had arranged the meeting. He stopped at a pair of giant wooden doors and turned the golden handles.

"My sons," he said as he open the doors, inside were two men. One was tall, blonde and had the build of a man that had won many battles. And his opposite, who was slightly smaller, had black hair and looked cunning and intelligent.

"I bring good news. I have arranged a meeting with the royalty of Balheim!" Odin declared to his sons, Thor and Loki. Thor had been ranting on about battles he had won. Swinging his hammer about, re-enacting war stories dramatically. While Loki read, pretending to listen.

"Ah father! I was just telling Loki about the great battle of-" Thor began.

"Now, I'm sure that can wait," Odin interrupted, his face completely serious. "Loki, the King and Queen of Balheim have only one heir, their daughter, Princess Abilene,"

"And?" said Loki, looking up from his book.

"And you, Loki, my son, will marry her" Odin announced, proudly.

"Loki? Loki will marry her?" Thor said surprised.

"Me?" Loki said just as surprised. He had always expected something like this to happen to Thor. He being the favourite and the most likely to rule anything.

"Yes, Loki, you," Odin reassured them. A wicked smile grew upon Loki's face.

"So… I'll become a king instead of Thor…" Loki's eyes were full of mischief.

"Father! This cannot be! A fire being can't be Queen… their not even part of the nine realms of Yggdrasil!" said Thor, shocked at the idea of Loki, I mean, a fire being ruling Asgard.

"You're just jealous I get to be king!" Loki taunted, smirking.

"I am not! I am too great to-"

"Enough!" Odin roared. The brothers fell silent. Loki with a satisfied grin, under his breath he grunted, "Jealous…"

"Loki! You are not going to rule Asgard. You will live in Balheim and rule with Abilene there."

"What?" Loki's face dropped. Balheim was a terrible place; the world was made of fire, rock and ash, and the people there weren't much better.

"Do not fear, brother. I'm sure you will love it there!" Thor laughed sarcastically.

"This is not a laughing matter, Thor. The three of us will leave soon. Loki, prepare yourself. We must impress the King and Queen or the deal will be off!" With that, Odin left. Thor smirking with ego and Loki wide eyed with fear and shock.

"Loki-" Thor began.

"Shut up" Loki was in no mood for talking, and definitely not in the mood for Thor's enormous ego. How was he going to get out of this one?

"I will go tell the others where we are going," and Thor left Loki, frozen in place. There was no way he was ever going to marry a dirty, barbaric fire being. Then it hit him. Odin had said that if they didn't impress the King and Queen the deal would be off.

But why would Odin want Loki to marry into the royal family of Balheim? They have never been the type to seek allies, especially those of Yggdrasil. Loki stood up; placing the book on the table beside him. He paced around the room, thinking, when Frigga entered the room. She stood there with her hands folded in front of her. Her hair ran down her back in a blonde mass of neat curls. She was smiling but her eyes were sad.

"How are you Loki?" she said regally.

"I am … well, mother," he said, turning to face her.

"This is an exciting day for you Loki, aren't you happy?" Frigga asked, stepping closer.

"Why should I be?" Loki replied.

"Because, you are going to meet your future Queen for the first time. I hear she's a lovely girl," Frigga reasoned.

"Mother, she's of Balheim. A fire being. Whoever she is, whatever she is, she isn't lovely," Loki argued, almost panicking. He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Why me? Why not Thor?"

Frigga just looked at him, aching to tell the truth. Loki was a Frost Giant but he didn't know it, and Frigga was afraid of what would happen to him when he went to Balheim. But Odin would never let him be king of Asgard as a frost giant. But she just said "It's time, your father and brother are leaving now."

"But-"

"Go," Frigga insisted. Loki looked at her suspiciously but left all the same. Frigga watched him leave, eyes full of a secret sadness.

Loki met Thor and Odin at the Bifrost.

"Why so nervous, brother?" Thor said, slamming a hand onto his shoulder.

"I'm not," Loki said defensively.

"My king, I must warn you, my sight cannot go beyond the Yggdrasil. I will not be able to watch over you while in Balheim. When I open the Bifrost again in 3 hours, I will not know who or what will come through," warned Heimdall, as he slid his sword into the keyhole.

"We know, there is no need to fear," Odin reassured him but still Heimdall insisted he should not go.

"In three hours open the Bifrost, and that's an order," Odin said.

"Very well, my king." Said Heimdall sullenly, then he turned the sword and the Bifrost opened. In a rush of bright light, the king and his sons were transported to Balheim.

The three stood there, in the middle of a dark rocky plain. Streams of lava running through it like veins. The air they breathed was hot, dry and smelled of smoke. The sky was covered with clouds of ash as far as the eye could see. Volcanos that were spitting out molten rock scattered the horizon. Stained on the ground beneath them, was the tattoo that the Bifrost had left behind. In the distance they could see the kingdom of Balheim, a city made of black rock. The same rock that covered this realm.

As the three began walking towards the city, Loki's fear began to churn. He couldn't live here.

"Why did Heimdall put us so far away?" he said bitterly, "Now we have to walk all the way there!" Loki's nerves were getting the best of him.

"Ha ha! Heimdall can't see as far as Balheim, so it's not like he could aim the Bifrost!" Thor said, amused by Loki's nervousness. "Do not worry, brother. It's not that bad," Thor then lowered his voice to a whisper, "Besides, this only a meeting. If things don't go to plan, the deal will be called off and you won't have to marry this Abilene person. Have hope Loki!"

"Thank you, Thor, I will try," Loki said half-heartedly. They had reached the gates of the city at last. Suddenly, they began to open.