The minute Maeve saw the stone, she ran as fast as she could, Asmund and Loki at her heels. The three breathed a sigh of relief as they felt the magic flow back into them like a warm drink on a cold day. Dying flowers perked up at Maeve's feet as she smiled.

After this, escape was fairly simple. Thor flew them back to the Ocean Viper one by one with Mjilonir in his hand. Loki used magic to set them back on course home as soon as he was able to, more than ready to leave the dark island and its mysteries. He still believed that their entire journey was too simple, but at that point, he just wanted to leave.

"All right, Maeve, I can heal your shoulder," Asmund volunteered. The princess was glad that having his magic back seemed to energize her brother, but she still protested.

"No. Roscoe first."

Asmund shook his head and glanced over at his younger brother, who had just been tossed a blanket by Corey. He leaned against a ship wall, still out of it. "Yours will be a simpler fix than him. Then I can use as much of my magic as I can."

"All right, just... don't overexert yourself, okay?"

"Now when have I ever done a thing like that?" He asked innocently.

"I can think of a few times," Maeve muttered under her breath. "Fine. Take it slow."

Asmund removed her bandage and quickly healed the bite marks. Once Maeve breathed a sigh of relief as her pain susbsided, Asmund rose and went to heal his brother. Maeve chose to walk up to the top deck and stare at the sea. A storm brewed on the horizon. She hoped it would rain. She loved rain and she loved thunderstorms. Her brothers always made fun of her for it, but she used to run outside while it poured just to feel the rain on her skin. There was something so cleansing about it all.

"Are you all right, Princess?" Thor walked up beside her.

She smiled up at the prince who dwarfed her small frame. "I am now, thanks to all of you. Especially you and Loki. You didn't have to help me get my brother back."

Thor put a surprisingly comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You say that as if us helping you was a question," he chuckled, shaking his head as a few blonde locks blew in the breeze. "One thing you'll learn the longer you're in Asgard is the emphasis our tradition places on family. It doesn't matter how we're related, or if we're even related at all. We are a loyal people."

"That sounds amazing," she replied. For the first time, she truly understood how deep the connection between Vanaheim and Asgard would run with her bond to Loki. No wonder Odin wanted to end the war with a marriage, not just a treaty.

Thor nodded, his blue eyes sweeping the horizon with a faraway look in them. "It is a moral instilled in me by my father. One day, when I ascend to the throne, I hope to preserve Asgard's values."

"Thor!" Loki called from the lower deck. "A word, please!"

"Of course."

Maeve's brow furrowed for a moment after he left. She learned the customs of all of the realms at a young age and knew that Asgard's throne did not necessarily pass to the first-born. The heir would be chosen at a time decided by the current ruler. There were several of these events, but she couldn't really remember them. It wasn't like Vanaheim, where the eldest male in the royal family had no choice in the matter. The fact that Asmund wanted to change the monarchy to a coregency was revolutionary in itself and she had no idea whether the people would embrace it or not.

At least the people loved Asmund. She knew that. There had not been an Empath ruling Vanaheim for thousands of years. Many eagerly anticipated the day the crown would pass from Frey's head to his. Her father was known throughout the realms as a charismatic and powerful ruler, but some of their subjects believed he lost his touch after the death of Saga, his wife and queen. Of course, they didn't know what really happened in Frey's family behind closed doors, but speculation was more than enough to do a reputation damage.

As the god of patience and wisdom, Asmund would bring the sense of security that the kingdom had been lacking. While some questioned if his nature as an Empath made him too soft, the majority of the Vanir looked forward to the day where a new king would be crowned and bring the realm to prosperity. Maeve also knew the coregency would most likely be the most shocking thing he'd ever do, and it wasn't that shocking to begin with. Her brother followed tradition even when he disagreed, and she couldn't imagine him breaking it for anything. His path was clear and straight even though he didn't want it: learn how to rule under Frey, eventually become king, marry a suitable noblewoman, and protect Vanaheim and its traditions at all costs.

Maeve thought about what she knew of the Asgardian royal family. Similar to Asmund and Corey, Thor and Loki couldn't be more different.

Thor was the first-born, the warrior, the favored. He was known throughout Asgard as a legendary fighter and worthy of holding Mjolnir. Loud yet caring, brave yet rash. Odin doted especially on his eldest son for reasons she didn't know, but he definitely received special treatment for it. 

Loki was the younger brother, the sorcerer, the sometimes forgotten. Many of the Aesir didn't trust him, but no one could dispute his immense knowledge of magic. While Odin often pushed him aside except when he needed him, Frigga also had a favorite, and it was her second son.

Deep in her heart, she knew there was virtually no way that Loki would ever get the chance to rule Asgard, not with Odin choosing his heir, but it still bothered her. Asgard didn't need a warrior to move it forward. It needed a diplomat.

Not that she wanted to be a queen, but she wanted Loki to at least have a shot.

"Think fast." Loki tossed her an apple and she caught it, the red color brightening at her touch. "Nicely done."

"Thank you." Grinning, she took a bite and looked out at the ocean again. "What did you need with Thor?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned on the railings. "I was reviewing our coverup. Once we get back, we all need to say the same things or the whole story unravels and we all go down with it."

"Oh? What's our story, then?" She asked mischievously.

"We sailed to a relatively deserted island near the ends of Asgard. We all had a grand time, you liked the plants there, I stabbed Thor at least twice, luckily there was a local healer that we paid for his troubles, and if anyone dares to ask, you and I did not sleep together." Loki smirked as Maeve giggled. He loved hearing her laugh.

"That's very realistic. You're really trying to keep the rumors down, aren't you?" Maeve teased.

"I would prefer not to be the topic of a palace scandal," he replied dryly. "It's happened before, and I can assure you it wasn't fun."

Her eyebrows shot up, curious. "What happened?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Those are stories for another day, flower."

"When are you going to start letting me in?" She asked softly. The question wasn't accusatory in any way. She just felt like she'd been open with him and wanted the door to swing both ways.

Loki hesitated. For one minute, she saw the walls lower in his eyes, really saw him, but then he cleared his throat and reassumed the calm demeanor of seconds before. Maeve couldn't help her disappointment even though she loved him and he loved her. He still would let her in.

"I've been more honest with you than I've been with anyone in a long time."

"What about Thor?" She thought about her relationships with her brothers and the letters she spent spilling her heart out to them. "He's your brother."

He gave her a thin smile in response. "My family was never as close as yours."

Maeve sensed that she had touched on a delicate subject and decided to move on. "How's everyone downstairs?"

"They're all fine," he answered, chuckling a little. "Asmund has conveniently passed out on one of the hammocks, but at least Roscoe's fine now."

"I'm going to kill him," she grumbled. "I told him to be careful! Brothers are so stupid."

"I do agree with the 'brothers are so stupid' sentiment," Loki said, grinning. "He's a healer by nature, love. The whole lot of them are incorrigible when it comes to helping others."

Maeve shrugged, shivering a little due to the winds picking up. A cloak appeared around her shoulders, and she smiled her thanks to her fiance. "He should be a healer. It's what he wants."

Loki frowned at her words. Rain began to drizzle on the couple. "He doesn't want to be a king?"

"No, but he doesn't have a choice. My brother will follow Vanaheim traditions until the day he dies," said Maeve.

"Hm." Loki considered this, his thoughts drifting to the secret he knew Asmund kept. He wondered if the secret broke any traditions his sister claimed he clung so tightly to.

The rain fell harder, still not pouring, though. Maeve pulled her hood over her blonde curls but remained where she stood, determined to watch the storm. Loki, however, looked uncomfortable.

"We should go in. It's starting to rain harder."

She shook her head dismissively. "It's okay. I like storms."

"Maeve, I don't know if we should-" Thunder clapped loudly, and Maeve saw Loki's grip on the railings tighten. His voice died out.

"Are you okay?" The princess asked, concerned. Loki nodded and kept his gaze on the water, still as ever. "Loki-"

"I said I'm fine." His tone came out harsher than he meant it to and rushed to apologize, but a flash of lightning lit up the night sky as thunder clapped again, and the prince cringed. He attempted to hide the fear in his green eyes, but she saw right through him. The pieces fit together in her mind and she suddenly understood his apprehension.

"You're afraid of storms," Maeve said, surprised. He didn't confirm or deny her claim, but his silence told her enough. "Aren't you?"

He closed his eyes. "It's foolish."

"Do you want to go downstairs?"

The prince almost nodded, but then shook his head. The last thing he needed was Thor making fun of him for fearing his brother's own powers. Not that he would, but the knowing gaze of his older brother would be torture enough.

"Did you know," she said softly, laying her hand on top of his as the rain continued to fall, "that thousands of years ago, Midgardian philosophers believed thunderstorms were nothing more than the collisions of clouds?"

Loki glanced over at her, bewildered. She hadn't made fun of him or pitied him at all. "No," he replied, caution in his words. She nodded.

"It's true. Thunderstorms are fascinating. There's even weather called thundersnow, where the precipitation isn't rain. It's snow. I've always wanted to experience one."

"That sounds interesting," he ventured. Maeve smiled and continued to tell him all she knew about storms from her reading, distracting him from his fear with knowledge. Every once in awhile Loki would flinch at the sound of thunder and Maeve would bring up a new fact or story to keep his mind off of it.

Thor poked his head up at one point, worried about his brother's anxiety when it came to storms. However, upon seeing Maeve and Loki on the top deck soaking wet and laughing quietly, he left them alone, satisfied that someone was taking care of him.