The next morning, despite all the excitement of the previous night, Loki woke up energized and well rested. He had slept the deep, dreamless sleep of someone finally at peace, and there was something soothing about waking up to the chirping of birds and gurgling water instead of shouting soldiers and clanking metal.

Loki took a deep and joyful breath as he sat on the bed, watching the patterns cast on the floor made by the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees outside his room. He couldn't wait to explore more of the land. The lake and the forest looked inviting and new. Everything on Asgard was so artificial and hand crafted, and Alfheim was full of seemingly endless resplendent wonders. Loki could only imagine how many surprises nature could hold when left to act in her own way.

But today was not the day. Today, King Frèyr would take him to the Sanctum.

The King hadn't said much regarding Loki's admission to the Sanctum. All Loki knew was that he would have to go through some tests, like an audition. The nature of the tests, Frèyr could not divulge.

Loki's smile faltered, all his insecurities dawning on him. What if he wasn't good enough? What if he didn't get accepted? Would they send him back to Asgard? He bet his father would be really happy about yet another failure on his part. The thought of going back to Asgard after seeing how happy he could be here made his stomach drop.

A small knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he shouted, and Gwyn opened the door.

"Your highness," she said with a small bow. "The King has requested your presence for breakfast. May I assist you in getting ready this morning?"

She didn't wait for Loki to answer, and busied herself in running a bath and picking his outfit. Loki looked at her as she worked, amusement distracting him from his anxieties.

"I could say no, but it seems you won't listen to me," Loki said with a smile.

"I am happy we have reached an understanding so soon." Gwyn smiled back, her hands on her plump hips.

Already bathed, dressed and pampered up, Loki met the King and the Princess in the hall for breakfast. They discussed the previous night and the positive impression Loki had made on the nobles. Loki felt terribly self conscious about the whole thing; part of him wondered how his father would feel about his subjects' judgement. Another part of him thought Odin deserved it.

"Should I have said something?" Loki asked, more to himself. "I mean, I am the representative of the House of Odin, but-"

"My boy." Frèyr patted his shoulder. "Your father has no eyes here," he said with a wink. "Now, finish your breakfast. There are people waiting to meet you."

Suddenly, Loki lost his appetite. "Right…"

"Don't be nervous," Sigyn chirped in, trying to lighten his mood. "You'll do great."

"You've been to the Sanctum? You go there too?"

"Only as a visitor," she explained. "I won't be taking the trials for another decade or so."

Frèyr briefly explained the schooling system to Loki as they ate. The Sanctum was reserved for those who excelled in the magical arts, those who could pass the trials with no exception. Some professions intrinsically linked to magic had to go there to study, such as healers. Loki knew this much: the healers of the palace in Asgard had attended this Sanctum. It made him feel even more anxious. Sigyn grabbed his hand on the table.

"Loki, we've seen your magic. Stop doubting yourself so much," she said with a smile. "As you saw last night, things work very differently here. Your magic won't be ever made fun of or brushed aside."

Loki knew Sigyn was right, and her assurance lessened the knot in his stomach, allowing him to finish his breakfast.

.-

King Frèyr led Loki to the back of the castle and through the gardens. A white cobblestone path led to the base of the mountains. It was surrounded by trees that kept the walk light and cool. Loki couldn't help but think that this same task would have made him extremely uncomfortable back home, even during this time of year.

They walked in silence, and Frèyr noticed how nervous Loki still was. He wouldn't stop scratching and pulling at his fingers the whole way. Breakfast sat heavy in Loki's stomach and felt more like ice the closer they got to the Sanctum itself, and he found himself wishing he had waited to eat until after the exam.

After a short flight of stairs, they reached the entrance to the Sanctum, and the sight that greeted him was exquisite and nearly made him forget his nerves. Much like the rest of Alfheim, the Sanctum had been built as part of its natural surroundings. The rounded white stone structure had been carved out of the mountain itself. The arch and pillars at the doorway were peppered with leaf patterns that shone green and gold in the light. An ash tree had been sculpted in extreme detail at the top of the entrance - a symbol of Yggdrasil, of strength as well as magical potency and power. The building itself didn't appear to be as big as the palace, but the light and the colors made it look ethereal.

A guard was stationed at the entrance, and he bowed to both Frèyr and Loki before they crossed the threshold. A thick man dressed in a linen beige and green tunic hurried to greet them.

"Your majesties!" He greeted them with a bow. "We've been expecting you."

"Master Céleben." Frèyr nodded and Loki copied him.

"Please, come with me. The rest of the council will see you shortly," Master Céleben said, leading them inside.

If the view from the outside was breathtaking, Loki wasn't sure how he could describe the inside. He was stunned when he realized that the small building outside was literally just the entrance. The mountain was the Sanctum, and it was more beautiful and inspiring than anything Loki had seen in his life.

Master Céleben walked them through an expansive corridor. Long pillars that lined the walls had been carved from the stone of the mountain, respecting its colors. White marble, shining granite and black obsidian were just a few. One side of the corridor boasted statues of many celebrated Seidr masters. Loki knew the names of a few and wasn't at all surprised to see Asgard's archives had left the men out. The men of Aesir stories were fierce and strong warriors, not wizards. It was both refreshing and encouraging to see men from his own realm represented among the greatest to have learned at this Sanctum. The other side of the corridor was all windows at the top, the lower half of the wall covered in bright and colorful murals, depicting different crafts and uses of magic. Alchemy, chemistry, astronomy, healing, engineering, different types of art… The gardening bit reminded him of Frigga.

"My prince," master Céleben brought Loki back from his admiration. "This way, please."

The master opened a wooden door and waited for Loki to go in. Frèyr smiled at Loki before taking a seat by the windows. Loki took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and entered the room. Céleben followed right behind him.

"Prince Loki, may I introduce you to Master Arannion and Master Indilwen." Both man and woman bowed their heads slightly, and Loki nodded in response.

After exchanging pleasantries and informing him they had received a very lengthy and heartfelt letter from Queen Frigga, they made Loki sit at a long table. Master Arannion, head of the Sanctum, made a short introduction of the place and laid out the tests Loki would have to go through.

"There is a practical part and a theoretical part," he said. "From what I gather, you should not have problems with the practical part of it, seeing you have already mastered conjuring, cloaking and some degree of illusionary magic. As for theory, we know your education in Asgard must have been… less than optimum."

"My mother suggested many volumes to read…" Loki said tentatively.

"I don't doubt the Queen did as much as she could, but Asgard has very little practical information about subjects that don't interest them," Master Indilwen offered politely. "Keeping that in mind, we will give you access to our own archive so you can study for the theoretical exam," she added with a smile.

Loki's eyes went wide in surprise. He hadn't expected to be given extra time to prepare.

"As for the practical trials…" Master Céleben stood up and motioned Loki to do the same. "Your examination starts now."

Loki was about to protest, but decided against it. He knew the extent of his magic, he didn't have to rehearse it. He had noticed how much easier was to gather his energy in this realm too, so he took a deep breath and stood in the middle of the room, awaiting instructions. The three masters had him following several tasks, going from simple tricks like conjuring everyday objects to more elaborate ones like cloaking and teleportation. Everything was going pretty well, if Loki had a say, but the masters were unreadable.

After what it felt like a long time, Loki was finally allowed to rest. He hadn't realized how drained he was; his hands were shaking and he was sweating lightly in his heavy Asgardian attire. In an automatic move, he made his clothes cooler, but only just. The last thing he wanted was to start gathering frost in front of the teachers.

"Very good," was all Master Indilwen said, with a tiny smile. "Master Céleben will take you to the library and give you the proper books for you to study. Your theoretical exam will be held next week."

All the way to the library, Loki wanted to ask how had he done, but couldn't bring himself to do it. And anyway, he was still being distracted by the decoration. When they got to the library, Loki forgot how to speak again. The room was massive. At least 3 stories high, ornate black iron stairs moved magically to allow the scholars to move around. As the rest of the Sanctum, the mountain was the wall and the ceiling. An intricate system of mirrors allowed the sunlight coming from one side of the room to flood it completely. Loki was sure he could hear bubbling water somewhere, no doubt they were underground springs. The whole time Master Céleben was gathering his books, Loki stared at the place with his mouth open.

"Here you go," Master Céleben presented him the books and a small list.

"Sorry." Loki said, shaking his head.

"Quite impressive, isn't it?" Master Céleben smiled. "We hold the largest collection in the Nine Realms. Not only magic, but history, myth, fantasy and other subjects." He said, then brought the attention back to the books he had given Loki. "These will help you with the basics, and the titles on this list you can get at the palace."

Loki thanked the master many times while they were on their way out. He was practically beside himself with nerves and excitement. Frèyr was waiting for Loki outside, and he stared at Loki expectantly until the master went back inside.

"How did it go?" the king asked with a smile.

"I think I have never wanted something so much as I want go here," Loki said, still in a state of shock.

Frèyr laughed and patted Loki's back affectionately. "You will, my boy. You will."

.-

The following week, Loki spent nearly every waking hour reading and studying, filling a small spare blank manuscript with his new notes. He had many things to thank his maid for. Gwyn made sure he didn't exhaust himself, having him bathe in his relaxing oils every night. You must get a good night sleep so your head is clear tomorrow. He might have skipped meals too if it weren't for Gwyn watching him very closely and checking every plate he sent back to the kitchen. You're but skin and bones! You must feed properly if you want to perform magic! Loki was quickly growing fond of her mother hen nature and was grateful she was there to help him.

Princess Sigyn was also quite helpful, showing Loki the best spots to read in the gardens, teaching him some of her studying skills, and sometimes dragging him out of despair when he got stuck.

The day of the examination, Loki was still nervous, but confident that he had done everything in his power to prepare for this. He arrived at the Sanctum early, just in case. A short, skinny man who introduced himself as Master Manadhon was waiting for him. Soon, five other people arrived to the foyer: three men and two women, fairly close to his age. Loki recognized them as Vanir. The sound of the Bifrost broke the usual calmness, and a while later two Aesir women arrived. From the light blue color of their robes, Loki knew they were healers in training.

Master Manadhon led the group down the same corridor Loki had been the first time, and into the same room. But now, the hall was full of comfortable working stations. Each of them got a blank notebook and a question sheet. A big golden clock chimed, signaling the start of their examination time.

Loki took a deep breath and started to work. The sound of the wind and the water outside relaxed him enough to finish in the allotted time. But in all honesty, he had no idea how he had done. After he turned in his notebook, Master Manadhon informed him his results would be announced the following day, and allowed him to leave.

Frèyr and Sigyn took Loki riding that afternoon, just to keep his mind off the exam. The beauty of the land and the low temperature helped to make him less anxious, but at the same time it made him want to stay even more.

Next morning, Gwyn got him out of bed, as usual, and urged him to have breakfast in the gardens. But Loki could not stay still. He just wished he could sit by his door, waiting for news from the Sanctum.

When he returned to his chambers after lunch, he found a fairly big square object on his desk, wrapped in unmarked gold paper. Attached to the top, there was a rolled parchment with the ash leaf seal of the Sanctum. Loki's heart started pounding. He opened the parchment with trembling hands.

Prince Loki of Asgard, the letter read,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as a student of the Sanctum of Alfheim.

Your application and examination were exemplary, and we look forward to advancing your education in seidr and the magical arts.

Term begins one quarter moon from today. You will receive your textbooks once you start your classes, and we have sent the study manuscript for your notes with this letter. May it serve you well during your time at the Sanctum.

Best regards,

Master Manadhon.

Loki couldn't believe it! He had been accepted! Eagerly, he ripped open the gold paper, already suspecting what the pack was. As he read the cover his smile grew even wider, if that was possible: his first Grimoire.

He had never seen one in Asgard, and Odin never let him own one. That's why his notes were scattered over several journals and loose pages. But no more.

A rush of exhilaration ran through him as he opened his Grimoire. The countercover was green, black and gold. The front page had his name and his apprentice rank, in gold ink. The first pages were already occupied with a brief history lesson, some minor spells, basic magic mechanics and moving images. The rest of the book was blank, and Loki couldn't wait to start filling it with his own annotations and spells. But he first had to write to his mother and tell her the good news.

Frèyr held a small celebration for him that evening, his favorite pudding included. They all assured him that they had never doubted his skill and that he would surely excel under the guidance of the greatest seidr masters in the nine realms and the support of people who believed in him. Loki knew it was a lot of pressure but for once he actually felt like he could live up to it.

In the days leading to the start of the term, Sigyn and Gwyn decided Loki needed new clothes. He shouldn't be around in his heavy Asgardian attire, they insisted, so they took him to the tailors and the shoemakers. Loki got new tunics, shirts, trousers, breechers, shoes and short boots, all made in bright forest green, black, and dark brown, and threaded with golden leaf motives. They were all made out of linen, silk and wool, which made them comfortable and cozy. Leather was reserved for his combat training armor. His heavy Asgardian black boots would come handy in the snow season, and his new brown boots would suit his new wardrobe better.

"Girls and boys will be falling at your feet in no time," Sigyn said with a glint in her eyes, while Gwyn was again braiding his hair after he tried on some of his new clothes.

Loki just smiled at the compliment, face turning slightly pink. He hadn't given it much thought, as he had been raised beside Thor, who was usually the one whose attentions were sought by their peers, but now Loki had a chance to prove himself without being compared to his brother. And he had to admit the new clothes did flatter him in a way that all-black never did.

At last it was the first day of school, and Loki couldn't remember being this excited in his life before. He woke up before Gwyn could drag him out of bed, and she insisted he ate all his breakfast, nevermind that Loki was nearly bouncing off the walls.

It was a chill morning, so Loki donned his new woolen coat, and packed his quills and pens with his notebooks and his Grimoire. He had heard the Bifrost earlier, so he correctly guessed the healers in training had arrived from Asgard. The Vanir group he had seen walk by when he was getting ready to leave.

The whole time Loki walked the corridor that led into the heart of the Sanctum, his heart was pounding. He could hear a smattering of voices inside the classroom, and his heart jumped to his throat. Loki took one final breath to calm himself before he touched the doorknob and opened the door.