Loki stalked through the marble corridors of Asgard’s palace, boots whispering over gold-veined stone, a flicker of green and black trailing behind. He slipped past a pair of guards, glamoured into invisibility with a careless twist of his fingers. Voices rose from the throne room: Thor’s, unmistakably earnest, and the sharper timbre of the council. Loki pressed a palm flat to the gilded door, letting the illusion fade. His heart rattled with anticipation, he knew this council was not for his ears, which is why he would hear every word. The doors swung open and Thor strode out, cape billowing, thunderclouds brewing in his eyes.
"Spying again, brother?"
Thor’s hand closed on Loki’s arm, grip gentle but unyielding. The council’s murmurs spilled into the hallway. Loki’s smile cut like glass as he twisted free, voice silk-smooth.
"Someone must keep an eye on our glorious future king. Secrets are so unbecoming, don’t you think?"
Thunder rumbled far above, and the game began anew.