Passing through Feather Palace's gardens and around the western administrative hall brought one to the transit station leading to the Great Portal. Loki walked into the station with her staff in hand. She had already decided to leave.
This visit had merely been meant to send a signal; someone else would naturally explain the rest for her. Loki stepped through the transit station's doors, waited there for half a minute, and only then headed toward the portal.
Sure enough, the instant she touched the portal, someone shouted from behind her, "Your Highness Loki! Your Highness Loki! Wait! Her Majesty wishes to see you!"
Loki withdrew her foot, turned around with an extremely surprised expression, and said, "Her Majesty wishes to see me?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to postpone your arrangements. Her Majesty has something very important to discuss with you!" The female diplomat Atu wore an apologetic expression.
Loki frowned slightly, but she still turned around and walked out of the transit station. "In any case, it is my honor to have an audience with Her Majesty."
Atu let out a breath of relief, then smiled. She thought Loki was probably the most even-tempered Asgardian she had ever met. Had it been any other Asgardian, they would have snorted coldly and left.
Yet on the way to the throne hall, Atu still tried to make amends. "I'm truly sorry, Your Highness Loki. Her Majesty's summons was urgent. We only received the notice at the last minute. Perhaps something really important has happened..."
Loki nodded without speaking, but she knew perfectly well that she and Thanos were putting on a performance. She had been waiting for the queen to summon her.
When Loki entered the throne hall, she saw the queen standing before the