All Chapters of Auden’s Blessing: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

After some time, the God of Poetry, Blaych, and the Goddess of Youth, Idun, came of age one after the other. Coming of age meant their divine powers would become increasingly apparent. Although this young couple, newly married, did not possess the strength of Thor, Tyr, or Heimdall, Blaych—who was destined to become one of the Twelve Principal Gods—was born with the ability to inspire morale and foresee the future. His wife, meanwhile, was the mistress of Asgard’s Eternal Garden. From the moment she came of age, a great number of golden apple trees began to appear within it.After Idun’s first council assembly following her coming of age, the gods gathered by Urd’s Spring. Dressed in a white robe with a crimson skirt, she placed the very first golden apple from the Eternal Garden into a casket and presented it to Odin. Accompanied by Blaych’s hymn of praise, she expressed her hope that the king of the Aesir would retain everlasting youth and boundless wisdom, and lead the tribe toward

Loki’s words caused Frigga’s mood to sink. The two of them walked side by side in silence all the way back. It wasn’t until they reached the outskirts of Hnarin that Loki finally spoke.“So as long as I don’t leave Angerboda, that’s enough?”“Not only that. You also have to treat her well.” Frigga gave a faint smile. “Just like your brother—he doesn’t love me, but he still treats me kindly…”She didn’t finish her sentence before he struck a nearby tree with a heavy punch, irritation flaring across his face.“He doesn’t love you, and you still stay with him?”“It’s for responsibility.”And… for the feelings she could never quite let go of.If only Odin could love as clearly as Loki—without hesitation, without hurting her, whether intentionally or not… how much better that would be.She didn’t know why. They were only trivial things, small grievances, yet in front of Loki they seemed to grow heavier and harder to bear. Looking at his youthful, striking face, her eyes suddenly reddened.

However, getting discouraged like this wasn’t in Frigga’s nature. She kept racking her brains, trying every possible way to defeat Odin.One time, she sat beside him with a bright smile, mentally rehearsing the strategy she had spent the entire night devising, and said gently, “Tell me, who likes whom more—do I like you more, or do you like me more?”Based on her understanding of Odin, with his temper, he would either stay silent or shoot her a cold glance and reply, “What do you think?” At that point, she would continue, “We both know it’s me who likes you more. If I were to give up on you first, wouldn’t that be your loss?” Odin would surely ask, “What exactly do you want?” And from there, she would have the upper hand and be able to lead him by the nose.But unexpectedly, Odin turned his head, gently pinched her cheek, and said, “Of course it’s me who likes you more.”At that moment, she froze into a giant statue—and then shattered into pieces.Frigga’s second counterattack ended i

Two days later, Loki returned to Jotunheim under the pretext of visiting relatives, and then came back to Asgard. From that point on, the giants—who had long been restless—unexpectedly became subdued. The Aesir all attributed this change to Loki’s efforts.Soon after, the Vanir witch Gullveig arrived in the realm of the gods as an envoy.Inside Valhalla, Gullveig, her hat brim lowered, brushed past rows of tall, imposing warriors. Trailing her snow-white robe, she walked up to the thrones of Odin and Frigga and stopped. She stated her purpose succinctly: the Sea God, leader of the Vanir, did not agree with Odin proclaiming himself the King of the Gods and Asgard as the supreme realm. In his view, the Vanir were the true gods and more deserving of reverence from all races. He therefore hoped Odin would withdraw these unfounded titles.Odin did not respond directly. Instead, he invited her to stay and arranged for someone to accompany her on a tour of Asgard over the next few days. Loki

Odin had been gone for ten days, and during that time there was not the slightest news of Loki. Frigga lived in a state of constant unease, and that anxiety reached its peak with the frost that descended in early spring—the sign that the Frost Giants were drawing near. Without the protection of Odin’s divine power, this land had already begun to lose its vitality.After several days of calm reflection, Frigga suddenly realized that her actions had indeed been too impulsive. Although imprisoning Loki like that was cruel, Odin would not act without reason under normal circumstances—especially when the person in question was his own brother.Fortunately, Asgard still had Balder, Thor, Tyr, and Heimdall. Among them, Balder in particular was enough to ensure that Asgard remained protected.The eleventh day.Outside the window, the world was still frozen in ice and snow. Asgard had lost its former brilliance, like a desolate city built within a land of ice. Wrapped in thick clothing, with a