Jane held Thor's hand, kissed him lightly, and smiled, "I like your explanation."
Thor looked seriously at Jane and said, "I'll find a way to save you, Jane."
Jane shook her head, replying, "Your father said there's no way."
"My father doesn't know everything."
At that moment, Frigga approached with a smile and said, "Make sure he doesn't hear you say that."
Charles Doyle also emerged from the other side, smiling as he said, "Never give up until the last moment."
Charles then turned to Frigga, saying, "Queen, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Supreme Merlin, you are most welcome," Frigga responded warmly.
Thor introduced the two, "Mother, this is Jane Foster. Jane, this is Frigga, Queen of Asgard, and my mother."
…
In the dungeon-
Loki lay on his bed, lazily tossing a cup to pass the time.
In another part of the prison, Algrim, the Dark Elf warrior, reached into the wound in his abdomen and retrieved the Cursed Stone.
Without hesitation, he crushed it in his hand, immediately transforming into a monstrous Kursed Warrior.
As Algrim's body surged with dark red energy, the others in the cell grew terrified, banging on the protective energy grid separating them.
With the violent release of energy, all but one of the prisoners in the cell were reduced to ashes. The lone survivor, likely stronger than the others, remained.
Algrim roared, adjusting to the immense power coursing through his body. His roar, however, attracted the attention of the prison guards, who immediately rushed toward his cell.
Seeing the remaining prisoner, Algrim grabbed him and smashed him into the energy barrier. The prisoner screamed in agony as the barrier burned him.
With a powerful punch, Algrim shattered the energy grid.
"Boom!"
The guards were shocked, their eyes wide in disbelief as they witnessed the destruction of the seemingly indestructible barrier.
They immediately channeled their divine power, their swords glowing with silver light as they charged at Algrim.
"Clang!"
The sound of the clash rang out, but the guard's sword failed to penetrate Algrim's defense.
Seizing the opportunity, Algrim grabbed two guards, and using the cursed energy, killed them instantly.
After disposing of the bodies, Algrim scanned the prison. His goal was to create as much chaos as possible to distract Asgard's forces for his king's plan.
He began breaking open the barriers of each cell, releasing prisoners one by one.
As the dungeon filled with chaos, the noise attracted the attention of the soldiers outside.
Armed and ready, a large number of Asgardian warriors rushed toward the dungeon.
Algrim, having freed numerous prisoners, eventually arrived at Loki's cell. He paused for a moment, examining Loki's unusually pristine environment, then decided to move on without releasing him.
Loki, amused, watched the scene unfold.
"At least I'll have some entertainment for the days to come," he mused.
He then called out to Algrim, "Take the staircase on the left."
Algrim glanced back at Loki and, after a moment of consideration, took his advice and ascended the left staircase.
…
The commotion in the dungeon soon caught the attention of Charles, Thor, and the others.
Frigga, watching the soldiers rushing toward the disturbance, remarked, "It's the prison."
Thor immediately suspected his brother's involvement, "Loki."
Frigga reassured him, "Go. I'll take care of her."
"And with the Supreme Merlin here, no one will be able to harm us."
Charles, noticing Thor's concerned gaze, smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've got this."
Thor nodded and hurried outside, summoning his hammer, Mjölnir, before flying toward the dungeon.
Soon, Thor arrived at the dungeon entrance. Looking at the prisoners in revolt, he called out, "Return to your cells now, and I'll let this slide."
"I promise."
However, one of the prisoners decided to attack Thor instead, striking him on the head with a hammer.
"Thud!"
Enraged, Thor growled, "I take back my promise."
With that, he dove into battle against the escaped prisoners.
…
Meanwhile-
Odin's energy projection also sensed the unrest in Asgard and immediately commanded the soldiers, "Send a team to the armory, protect it at all costs, and secure the dungeon."
At that moment, Frigga, Charles, and Jane arrived, just in time to see Odin giving orders to the soldiers.
"Odin," Frigga called.
"Frigga," Odin responded, then turned to the soldiers.
"Hurry!"
Turning back to the group, Odin reassured them, "It's just a minor disturbance, nothing to worry about."
Frigga didn't realize that the Odin before her was merely an energy projection, but Charles knew the truth. After all, Odin had just mentioned he was heading to Helheim.
Frigga, sensing something wasn't quite right, remarked, "You've never been one to lie."
Clearly, Frigga had noticed something was off. At this moment, Sif, fully armed, appeared with a squad of soldiers, briefly locking eyes with Jane.
Odin instructed, "Take her and Charles to your quarters. Once it's safe, I'll come find you."
At that moment, Charles heard Odin's voice telepathically: "If danger arises, I'll rely on your help."
It was evident that Odin didn't know who the enemy was, but since his real body was still returning from Helheim and needed time, he entrusted Charles with the protection of his wife and Thor's girlfriend.
Frigga turned to Odin and said, "Be careful."
Odin reassured her, "After all the storms I've weathered, my queen still worries for me."
Frigga smiled, "It's because I worry that you always turn danger into safety."
Odin gave her a look, then turned and left.
As Frigga led Charles and Jane to her quarters, she took a sword from a passing soldier.
She then looked at Charles and said, "I suspect the enemy is here for the Aether. After all, Jane's arrival coincided with the unrest in Asgard, something that hasn't happened in thousands of years."
"If enemies show up, I'll need your help, Supreme Merlin."
Charles nodded internally, impressed by Frigga's astuteness. She truly lived up to her title as the Queen of Asgard, predicting the situation with such precision.
"I will remain hidden. If an enemy appears, I'll strike them swiftly."
"Thank you."
Frigga then turned to Jane, "You must do exactly as I say and ask no questions."
Jane didn't put up any resistance, "Yes, my lady."
The three of them soon arrived at Frigga's chambers. Charles used his magic to turn invisible, while Frigga began instructing Jane on what to do next.