Valaskjalf, Asgard.

Odin seated upon his golden throne and mulled over the extensive preparations needed for the renewal of the Asgardian-Kree Trade Agreement. Even with the day's matters concluded and all of his councillors retired to their homes, Odin still felt the need to review the changes his council proposed one more time. 'Heavy lies the crown.' He thought.

Perching up from his seat, the All-father noticed a small presence at the entrance of his throne room and watched as the little head of his adopted daughter popped out of the doorway. Her small stature clashed with the grandeur of the royal chamber's marbled arches.

The sight brought a fleeting comfort to Odin's aging bones, momentarily lifting the mantle of rulership from his shoulders. Diana had been a whirlwind around the palace halls since the end of her weeklong confinement. Odin pondered on how his daughter continued to find herself knee-deep in trouble.

His first reaction when he heard of Diana's adventure—as she put it—to Hvergelmir was of concern. The thought of his youngest lost in the cold, chased by the remnants of what once were the light elves, sent a ripple of anger and unease through the calm facade he maintained. Her meeting with Nidhogg, and subsequently earlier introduction to Ratatoskr, did nothing to ease his mind. Yet, as he processed the tale, Odin's worries roamed to the gateway he placed on the realm—the entrance to his oldest's prison.

The All-father knew the touches of destiny when they crossed him, and he knew it well. Whether it was The Fates or The Norns that were playing with his family remained to be seen. His own foresight into the future had shown little about Diana, but that was always the case when it came to his children. It mattered not either way; Diana was his own to protect, and her destiny was not a problem that could be solved easily.

Pausing before the throne, with her thumbs twirling around each other, Diana looked up at Odin and asked. "Father, may I speak with you?"

Odin nodded and gestured for her to come closer. "Of course, dottir. Come, let me see how you've grown."

With a spring in her step, Diana skipped forward to her father's seat of power. The King of Asgard, in a swift motion that belied his age, lifted her onto his lap. Diana giggled cheerfully at his action. Despite his harsh exterior, Odin cherished these moments of affection with his children. Throughout the years, he had maintained a fleeting balance between his responsibilities to the realms and to the siblings. However, deep down in his guts, Odin knew he was not built for love, despite his best efforts.

Odin inquired. "Now, what weighs on your mind?"

"I heard something recently…Others called you a deceiver, father. Why do they say such things?"

Odin exhaled deeply, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of countless ages. "My child, ruling Asgard and safeguarding the Nine Realms demands for difficult decisions. Sometimes, it requires making choices that others might not understand. The truth is a powerful weapon, but so is deception when wielded wisely. To protect our people, to ensure peace, I have had to tread paths that blur the lines between honesty and necessity."

Diana listened intently, the little corners of her lashes crinkled in deep thinking. "But isn't lying wrong? Mother says we should always tell the truth."

Odin leaned forward, staring at the sky blue of his daughter's eyes. He watched as his own reflection was locked in an intricate dance between the darkness and light of the throne room. "Diana, in a perfect world, truth alone would be enough. But sometimes, we battle forces that respect neither truth nor honor. Against such foes, deception becomes a shield, a strategy to outwit rather than overpower. It is not a decision I choose lightly."

"But if you lie, even for good reasons, doesn't that paint you as a liar? How can people trust you if they think you are untrustworthy? I think nothing good is born from lies. And the truth is enough." Diana's voice was firm, her beliefs clear and shining like the celestial stars above.

Odin nodded, acknowledging her conviction. "You speak the language of ideals, Diana, a sign that your heart and spirit are pure. The realms, indeed, would be brighter if truth alone could guide us. And you are right. Trust is a precious thing, hard-won and easily lost. Yet, leadership often requires us to navigate the shadows to bring forth light. It is a delicate balance, one that I tread with the safety of all in mind."

Diana took a second to consider Odin's words before shaking her head and replying. "I don't know, father. I understand the need to protect our home and our people. I want to protect them, too. But I think there is always a way to find the truth, a way to solve problems without lies. Maybe it's harder, but it has to be better."

At that moment, the All-father's mind traveled thousands of years to the past. He remembered the bright green eyes that stared back at his own. A bundle of black hair, as dark as the void itself, lit up in wonder at his tales of the Nine Realms. He remembered teaching Hela to wield her first weapon, joining her in her first battle, and watching her as ambition and hunger twisted his firstborn beyond what he could temper. Odin had snuffed out whatever compassion, truth, and innocence his oldest ever had, then replaced it with something dark and ever thirsting. He would not make the same mistake again.

"The perspective of youth carries with it the hope for a brighter future." Odin considered. "Your heart is true, Diana, and your faith in the truth is admirable. It is a sign of your strength and the goodness within you. As you grow, you will face many challenges, and you will have to make difficult choices. I hope you can hold onto that belief and use it to guide you."

"Then I will, Father. I will find a way to show that truth can defend us better than any lie." Diana declared, leaving no room for doubts or questions.

Unbeknownst to the Princess, Odin saw her eyes lit up with gentle white lights, even if they only shimmered against the brightness around them. The All-father, in a rare display of tenderness, reached out with no hesitation. His palm, marked by the battles of eons passed and the ruling of worlds, rested slowly and carefully upon Diana's head. "A strong conviction. As I expect out of any of my children. I hope each one of you can find the right path forward. Let your truth shine brightly, and perhaps one day, you will teach us all a better way."

______________________________

Hvergelmir, Niflheim.

Their skiff glided to a halt, nestled between a mountain of gleaming rocks and a vast expanse of ice. Loki surveyed the cavern with curious eyes. Diana's stories of Lady Nidhogg's dwelling had painted a picture in his mind, yet the reality before him was both more wondrous and more daunting than mere words could describe. Even with the raging pire on their vessel fighting back the enclosing abyss, the shadows seemed to be almost alive, waiting and testing their reach through each flicker of flame.

To call this place large was to make an understatement. The scale of the cavern was breathtaking, dwarfing even the scale of Asgard, not to mention the journey they took to get here. Ratatoskr could not transport them all using his natural method of realm travels. Hence, they needed to take the Bifrost to the surface entry point of Hvergelmir. There, the siblings, the squirrel and a squadron of Einherjars rode through pitch-black tunnels and icy paths with the help of Ratatoskr's navigation. It had taken them, by Loki's estimations, three days to traverse the depths of this strange lonely realm.

Diana's enthusiasm shattered the silence of their arrival as she leaped from the wooden boat onto the ice below. Her voice echoed, louder than Loki was comfortable with in this frozen hole. "I'm back, lady Nidhogg!"

The Asgardian soldiers accompanying them quickly divided. Half remained with Thor and Loki on the skiff while the others secured the perimeter, alert to the unknown dangers of Hvergelmir. Loki's attention, however, was on the glistening lights in the distance, their nature now known to him. He saw no changes to their movements or brightness, small blessings.

"So I see. With guests too, no less."

Loki had expected the deep voice, as Diana mentioned, but nothing could prepare him for the intrusion of thought rather than sound, telepathy in its rawest form. Even Thor exchanged an unnerved glance with Loki, unprepared for the mental incursion. To his surprise, the Einherjars did not seem to be deterred by Nidhogg's way of communication. Loki had heard that Heimdall used a similar ability despite the gatekeeper never displaying it in front of them. Maybe there was more truth to this rumor than he originally thought.

Diana, either used to the way Nidhogg spoke or did not care the slightest, replied. "Yes! I finally got my father to agree to let me come back. But I had to bring others along with me. And we rode the boat. It took so long!"

"I remembered last time you were here, I specifically said that I liked my peace and quiet." Nidhogg ignored his sister and chided. Which made Diana sullen in guilt that was not her own fault.

Seeing the plummeting of Diana's mood, Thor attempted to intervene. "Lady Nidhogg, if I may…"

"You may not." Nidhogg cut him off sharply.

"Ohhh…" Thor's response hung in the air in resignation.

Loki could see his brother was lost with the clear dismissal. He, on the other hand, seized his chance. "My lady, we promise this will not be a normal occurrence. We trust you and Sir Ratatoskr to have the best in mind for our sister. Any subsequent visits will be between you three if you so wish. We only hope that you can listen to our piece."

"Proceed, Prince Loki." Nidhogg prompted, her interest piqued.

"We've brought Asgardian delicacies as a token of our appreciation for your protection of Diana. Truly, you kept our sister safe when we could not. You have our utmost respect and gratitude." Loki collapsed his fist to his chest and bowed, displaying a clear picture of a regale prince despite his age. With his words, Commander Nanna and some of the Einherjars emerged from the bowel of the ship with gifts of foods and drinks in hands. Loki hoped this appeased the voice in the dark somewhat.

Nidhogg's response was tense but allowed. "Very well. You may stay for now."

Diana's spirits lifted instantly. "Yes! Now, can I finally see you?"

Silence followed a pause that stretched until Ratatoskr interjected with a comforting smile. "My wife is somewhat shy around new faces."

"Shy? I am anything but." Nidhogg retorted, her indignation crystal clear even through telepathy.

The mountain near them stirred. Then, amidst the sound of cracking stone and the groan of the realm itself, a giant serpentine eye opened on the mountain's rugged face. It was as if the very cavern had awakened, revealing itself to be not a formation of rock and frost, but a colossal serpent head. The eye, vast as a lake and gleaming with an otherworldly light, pierced the darkness surrounding their group, casting its gaze across the cavern. Its iris, a swirling maelstrom of colors that seemed to contain the depth of the cosmos, showed wisdom and power beyond mortal understanding while the air itself thrummed with energy.

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All around them, the soldiers grasped their blades but did not move, waiting for their commander's orders. Loki should have been scared. This was a clear intimidation tactic and it worked well on his soldiers. He should have been terrified, honestly, but all he could feel was fascination. Much like him, Diana was entirely captured by the Eye as she oohed and ahhed at the sight.

"Loki!" Thor grunted next to Loki, but from his brother's tone, Loki could tell that he was in the clouds.

"I see her." He replied.

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed, his enthusiasm undimmed.

"Yes, I can see her clearly, Thor!" Loki sighed.

Thor stood amazed, stars in his eyes. "She's a giant snake! That's like my favorite thing! I had dreams of this day!"

Loki took in a deep breath, before belaying. "You are quite strange, brother."

Diana snapped herself out of her own marvel, turned to Ratatoskr, and said. "Whoa! You are right, Sir Ratatoskr! She is so pretty!"

"Of course, I am. I, Sir Ratatoskr, am always right!" The squirrel smugly climbed the serpent's head that the Eye belonged to.

"You are not afraid?" Nidhogg queried, though Loki could tell she was anticipating a negative answer.

"No!" Thor and Diana shouted together.

"Not really." Loki continued.

"A little." came from commander Nanna as all eyes and the Eye turned to her. Even the commander seemed surprise at her own words.

"It's not you, my lady. I just have a slight phobia for really large things." Nanna answered as if she wanted nothing more for the attention on her to go away.

"Curious. The All-father knows what I am. Why did he assign you on this trip, commander? It seemed mean-spirited to force you to face me." Nidhogg asked not showing any offense.

"I volunteered, my lady. I've never been to Nieflheim. I heard it was as cold as Jotunheim. It is." Nanna said as she gave a salute and walked away to continue her duties like nothing had happened.

Loki watched as everyone fell into awkward silence. The commander's behaviour aside, he had gained a little leeway with his earlier gift but Loki knew father or mother would never allow Diana to be alone in Niflheim, even under the protection of Lady Nidhogg and the squirrel. So for his sister's sake, he needed to convince the giant ancient serpent that he and/or Thor– whichever was more convenient– were of good company. Therefore, it was best that they could come along in the subsequent visits. There was little doubt that there was going to be a next time. Logistics be damned, Ratatoskr would just need to send them one at a time, or they would use the ship again if need be.

Loki persisted with politeness in his gestures and voice while his mind worked overtime. Who knew having a younger sister could be so troublesome?

______________________________

West Wing, Valaskjalf, Asgard

Among the rows of neatly stacked scrolls, manuscripts, and codices of the palace library, Thor laid his face on the table and groaned in boredom. Before Diana learned her letters, the two brothers had promised to tell her many tales of the Olympians, which meant he needed to consult the library from time to time. He could still hear Loki's teasing remark from those early days, 'You? In the library? You could barely read as it is.' Yet, despite Loki's mean jest, his brother had assisted Thor in selecting the appropriate scrolls and books related to Olympus and Themyscira without complaints.

Diana, now well-versed in her readings thanked to her studies with the tutors, had made it a point to start a weekly tradition called 'Library Time with Diana.' Thor enjoyed spending time with his siblings—he really did. However, after hours of combat training and his own torturous meetings with the educators, the last thing Thor wanted to do in his free time was to be buried in books.

Turning to the side, Thor saw his sister tilting on her tiptoes, attempting to retrieve a scroll placed just beyond her reach. Trying to find anything else to do rather than to read, Thor hopped up on his feet and approached his struggling sister.

"Here, let me get that for you, Diana." He offered, extending his hand towards the elusive parchment roll.

"No." Diana stretched a little further before she claimed her prize, her face lighting up with victory. "It's ok, I got it."

Thor watched, bemused, as Diana celebrated her small win with a little dance. Despite her growth, she had always been the smallest among them, and in Thor's eyes, she would forever remain his little sister. However, as Thor watched her now, something nagged at the back of his mind.

He scratched his chin in puzzlement before he said. "Diana, stay here for a moment." Thor turned to his brother, who was deep in his own readings. "Hey Loki, get over here."

Loki huffed at the interruption but complied. "What now, brother?"

Thor had them stand side by side, stepping back to appraise the scene. "Look at that." A smile played on his lips. "She's almost as tall as you already. You need to eat more, Loki. That or spend less time with the mages."

"What do you mean by that? Are you implying I eat too much?" Diana's protest was swift. A light shade of pink painted her cheeks.

Thor, caught off-guard by her reaction, scrambled for the right words. "No, no, Diana. I mean…"

Yet, before he could fumble his words further, Loki cut him off with a wave of his hand and scrutinized Diana with a thoughtful gaze. "Be quiet for a moment."

What followed was Loki's comical yet serious inspection, his palms hovering over Diana as if she were a rare artifact. Thor saw his brother's eyebrows furrowed and his gaze frantically searching for something amiss.

Thor asked with his own confusion growing. "What's going on, brother?"

"She's almost as grown as I am." Loki worriedly repeated Thor's words. His arms measured the height between him and Diana one last time.

Thor scoffed at Loki's answer. "Yes, that's what I said, Loki"

Diana, unbothered by the implication, simply shrugged. "I don't see the problem here."

Loki looked at his brother with concern. "Thor! I am four decades older than Diana."

"And I have two more than you, so what?" Thor began, then paused, the implication of Loki's statement slowly dawning on him. "Oh…"

Diana echoed in puzzlement. "Oh?"

Thor's decision was immediate. "We need to see the healer—now."

Loki called out. "Grab her!"

"Wait! Ah!!" Diana protested as Thor picked her up from the ground and laid her on his right shoulder.

The trio's rapid dash through the majestic corridors of Valaskjalf was a blur of motion. Their pressing pace turned heads as they ran towards the healing chambers. Frigga's constant reminders against running within the palace halls did nothing to slow their steps. Thor was worried for his sister. If Loki's and his thoughts held any truth, then something would need to be done soon.

They barely slowed as they approached the healing chambers, bursting through the doors with a commotion that rivaled the clamor of battle.

The royal healer Eir spun from her work with a started jump, her expression one of surprise and irritation at the sudden invasion into her office. "What is the meaning of this?"

Thor set his sister down inches from the healer and cried. "She's aging!"

Eir, stepping back to avoid a collision, shot Thor a look that promised long lectures and a word with his mother. "That is quite true for most living beings." She dryly replied.

Gone was any sense of urgency that Loki had shown before. His lips now curved into a smirk. "Yes, Thor. I don't know why you insist on dragging Diana to see the healers."

Thor shifted his frustration and uncertainty towards Loki. "What? But you said…What is the meaning of this?" Thor parroted.

The princess nodded her head lightly while she exchanged looks between her two brothers. "I get it now. Thor is worried that I am aging much faster than they are."

Eir rolled her eyes at all three of them, losing patience over the theatrics, and sought to clarify. "Is that what made you bash into my room all of the sudden?"

"Yes!" Thor blurted out and pointed his finger at his brother. "Loki, I don't know why you are feigning ignorance. You were there. You started this. Our sister's life is in danger!"

"Goodness, Thor. Really." Loki gave a sigh and continued his smirk. His frame leaned against the nearby wall in calm bliss in contrast with the older prince.

"At this rate, she might pass away before she reaches her fifth century." Thor shook his sister to emphasize his point.

Diana's eyes popped open in dread as anxiety started to rise in her mind. "I will?"

Eir stared unimpressed at Loki before returning her attention to the first prince. "Prince Thor. Stop scaring the poor girl! If this was a normal case, that might be true. Diana may be half-Midgardian, but it matters more where she came from in Midgard. The Amazons, those who resided on Themyscira, were blessed with long lives that closely resembled the Olympians and our own." However, her thoughts were easily distracted away from their current topic. "It is all very interesting. I expect there was a long line of interbreeding between Olympians and the Amazons. There should be records."

Loki injected the healer's monologue to bring the conversation back to them. "That means her aging should slow down when she reaches adulthood like us."

Eir confirmed, albeit grudgingly, acknowledging Loki's interruption. "Yes. Although, maybe she'll reach it earlier than we do. By the eighteenth decade instead of the twentieth? The error margin is around five years. I don't see why you are in such a panic, my prince. Your parents and I had discussed this matter extensively."

With that realization, Thor approached Loki and confronted him. "You! You knew this! You tricked me."

"That's not very nice, Loki!" Diana chided. "and you shouldn't lie like that."

Loki propped his hands up in surrender, yet his tone was ever unrepentant. "If I remember it correctly, I did not say a single lie, sister. Besides, Thor made it too easy."

Thor's frustration boiled over while their distance edged closer and closer. "Why did you not tell me of this before if you knew."

"Because you never asked." Loki clapped his hands together and disappeared in a swirl of green magic before Thor had any chance to retaliate.

Eir, having had enough of the drama, promptly ushered Thor and Diana out of the healing chambers. As the two stood in bewilderment in the hallways, Thor walked forward with a storm brewing inside and outside of his body. He made a promise that he would make Loki pay for his mischief. The specifics of his plan remained unclear, but justice, he decided, would prevail this day.