"Maeve? Are you coming? We need to leave soon. Thor's waiting." Loki leaned against the door frame, unsure of how long she'd be. Some women took ages to get dressed. Of course, this was coming from someone who could change his appearance with a snap of his fingers, so perhaps he was biased. And if he was being honest, he didn't mind making Thor wait.

Maeve immediately swung open the door at his words. "Are you ready?"

For a moment, Loki just stared.

She wore a dark blue tunic, brown leggings, knee-high boots, and a brown corset, an outfit much more suited to their journey than the gown he had summoned earlier. Her golden curls were pulled back into a loose ponytail. Standing there in front of her, Loki had to use an illusion to hide his blush. She looks pretty, he thought to himself.

"Loki?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes, um, this way." He took her arm and led her down the hallway.

"Thank you for doing this," she whispered. To anyone they passed, she simply meant the voyage, but to him, the meaning ran deeper.

"Family is very important in Asgard, my dear. You don't have to thank me."

"Yes, I do," she said. Even though worry plagued her, the fact that both Loki and Thor continuously referred to her brothers as his family did make her smile. "You were exhausted last night. I didn't want to bother you, but we needed your help."

"And I was happy to give it to you. Don't fret, flower, we'll have your brother back soon enough. I promise." He smiled down at her.

"Are you okay? Thor said you and your father get into arguments when you work together."

She felt his grasp tighten on her hand momentarily. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"I am."

"For someone who's supposed to be the god of lies, you're not doing a very good job." She winked, causing him to roll his eyes.

"All right then. I will be fine. Better?" He winked to put her at ease, but a dark shadow crossed his face.

She sighed dramatically. "I guess that will have to do."

Loki and Maeve chatted idly about books and upcoming festivities as they passed servants, but neither of them dared to bring up the subject actually on their minds while still in the palace grounds. The wind whipped through her hair as they rode to the port, where a small but beautiful ship lay anchored.

"It's called the Ocean Viper," Loki said, giving name to the ship ahead. "One of our finest and fastest in the royal fleet. Our journey shouldn't take more than a few days as long as we don't run into any problems."

"Is that likely?" Maeve asked apprehensively. Loki shrugged and gestured for her to board. From the main deck, Thor waved them on as he raised the sails.

"About time you two showed up!" He grinned and came over to join them before leaning over to whisper conspiratorially in the princess' ear. "Your brothers are getting restless hiding out downstairs. Actually, one of them is getting restless."

Laughter tumbled from Maeve's pink lips. "Let's get going, then, so we can let Corey out." She knew it was definitely Corey, no question about it. While Asmund was the god of patience and wisdom, Corey had always been quite the opposite.

"All right then," Thor said cheerfully, clapping his brother a bit too forcefully on the back. "Go ahead."

Loki approached the helm of the ship. Closing his eyes, he ran his fingers down the wheel while muttering incantations under his breath. The Ocean Viper came to life as the sails caught the wind. He returned to the group looking slightly tired yet still proud of himself and his abilities.

"It will navigate for us now," he explained to Maeve, who nodded. She glanced around the ship, in awe of its beauty and size. "You can go get your brothers if you want."

Maeve walked down the stairs to the lower deck, where she could hear her brothers arguing.

"Corey, sit down-"

"We've been stuck down here for two hours!"

"I'm sure they'll be ready soon," Asmund's voice pleaded. "Just sit down and stay calm. Panic isn't going to help Roscoe or anyone."

Maeve poked her head into the room, a smile on her face. Corey continuously paced the floor while Asmund sat on a wooden bench. "Two hours and you already have cabin fever?"

"About time," Corey grumbled, but his grin told her he wasn't angry. He ruffled her hair good-naturedly until she swatted him away. "Let's go upstairs." He walked up the stairs without another word, eager to be anywhere else.

Maeve turned to Asmund. Leaning on the door frame, she winked and said, "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. He can't help being impatient. It's in his nature, and every time I tried to trade emotions with him, I ended up worse than him. I was probably terrible to behold." He gave her a wry smile and squeezed her shoulder briefly before mounting the stairs. Maeve followed him.

Standing at the edge of the ship watching the golden city of Asgard slowly disappear from her vision, she realized how much she loved the water. Growing up in an agricultural realm, Maeve knew how beautiful the land was, but to her, the sea was something completely different. Shimmering under the sun, blue under the sky, and moving under her feet. The ocean constantly changed but somehow managed to always stay the same. The salty breeze tousled her curls behind her shoulders and she closed her eyes to soak in the moment.

"Enjoying yourself?" Loki asked, leaning on the railing next to her.

She shrugged, a smile making its way onto her face. Her enthusiasm was contagious: he smiled too. "I feel like I shouldn't be happy right now, but the ocean's just so beautiful. Look at it! It's so big and blue and beautiful. Imagine living on the shore and waking up to that every single day."

Loki quirked an eyebrow. "You talk of the sea like you've never seen it before."

Her smile disappeared. "I have. It's just been a long time."

Why? He wanted to ask. There were many things about her he still didn't know even though their wedding was five months away. Moments like this made him stop and realize how short of a time they'd known each other.

To his surprise, she continued her story. How can she be so open?

"I love it in Asgard. It feels so free here. I can do what I want. It's not like that at home." She shifted, keeping her eyes on the water. "I love Vanaheim. I really do, but my father is strictly traditional. Princesses are expected to behave a certain way. We are more ornamental than useful. For the longest time, I wasn't even allowed to leave the palace without my brothers. I started sneaking out."

"How old were you?"

"It was maybe a hundred years ago or so. It was so exciting. I'd manipulate the vines so they became a ladder near my window and I'd go out into the nearby villages. Most of them had never seen me, so there wasn't the risk of being recognized. I didn't tell anyone. I loved it. I used to go dancing in the village. I used to go to a nearby shore and stay all night until sunrise.

"One day, though, I wasn't careful. There was a blizzard, and I just wanted to see the shores covered in snow. When I was there, I was attacked. My magic weakens in the cold. Plants can't survive in cold temperatures. I was practically defenseless. I would have died if my father hadn't found out where I was." She shuddered and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the horrors that memory held for her. "I've never seen him so angry. He was livid. Terrifying. That was one of the worst nights of my life. I had bruises for weeks, and I was confined to the palace again. My mother argued against him, but he wouldn't listen to anyone. I was back to being ornamental. He kept me away from the ocean. He kept me away from everything."

Maeve felt a cool hand rest on top of hers. She opened her eyes and looked up at Loki, who wiped away a tear she didn't even realize she shed.

"I don't miss him," she confessed, ducking her head.

"I'd be shocked if you did," he replied softly.

She leaned into him, her head against his chest. He felt so warm, so safe. How did she trust him more than she trusted her own father when she'd known him for only seven months? It confused her, it being love.

"It's okay, love," he murmured, stroking her hair in a comforting way. "You're here with us now."

Maeve nodded as she looked out at the ocean.

I'm finally free.