No matter the season, the gardens of Asgard Palace were always filled with a special vitality. Once this beautiful land entered winter, evergreen trees replaced the once-lush broadleaf forests, adding a touch of primal wilderness to the place.
Pushing aside shrub branches laden with bright red berries and crossing the stone path, one arrived at an open plaza and a fountain frozen into an ice sculpture.
The thick snow covering the fountain's edge suddenly stirred. A small hollow quickly sank into its surface, and a butterfly folded from yellowed stationery fluttered its wings twice, shaking off the snow covering it before nimbly spiraling into the air.
It flew past the fountain's column of water, skimmed over damp soil, lightly touched the babbling stream formed by melting snow, and then carried that damp chill to a pale, slender hand.
Long, well-defined fingers gently closed a heavy book, brushed through black hair, and turned toward the blond man approaching her.
"Frigga knew you were reading here. She asked me to bring you this cloak, so you wouldn't freeze." Thor handed the cloak in his hand to Loki.
Loki accepted the cloak but did not put it on. Instead, she held it while looking at Thor, tore a page from the notebook beneath her book, and handed it to him. "Kamar-Taj's Christmas gift to Asgard. If there are no issues, notify Sif and have her prepare to lead a delegation to receive it."
Thor frowned as he took the paper. Looking at the many terms unique to the human magical world written on it, he put it down and looked at Loki. "A Christmas gift? In all these years, I've never heard of Asgard receiving a Christmas gift from Kamar-Taj. The All-Father couldn't have kept it from me..."
"They're sending one for the