Odin found the children, and the Bifrost descended, bringing everyone back to Asgard.
The furious Odin's voice rang with authority and power as he loudly rebuked Thor's recklessness in front of everyone:
"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!"
Thor refused to back down. "You are a foolish old man!"
They certainly were father and son. Neither minced his words.
Thor and Odin hurled abuse at each other at the entrance to the Bifrost. The result was that Odin stripped Thor of his divine power and placed a magical restriction on Mjolnir.
"I, Odin, the All-Father, banish you!"
The moment Odin finished speaking, Thor was sent flying backward into the spinning Bifrost mechanism, with Mjolnir following after him.
The All-Father's thunderous fury left everyone present silent with fear. No one dared speak, and they even breathed carefully, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.
That, of course, included Fischl and Oz.
The girl and raven stood awkwardly in a corner, their entire state of mind summed up as:
Where am I? What am I doing? What are they doing? Why am I here?
In short: two utterly bewildered faces.
Fischl: I swear upon this lamp, I, the Prinzessin, did absolutely nothing. One blink, and I was here.
I don't want to watch a live family discipline show!
"You..."
Odin seemed a little weary. As Thor's father, he had never expected to hear such rebellious words from his own son, and it deeply saddened him.
But he did not take his anger out on anyone else. Facing Fischl and Oz, Odin felt great gratitude and admiration for this young girl who had saved his children and the people of Asgard.
This child did not shrink before power. She held to her convictions under pressure, acted cautiously, and treated others politely.
Her way of speaking had a few little quirks, but those minor flaws did not diminish her merits.
She was still young, and taking Thor and the others in meant she had placed herself in opposition to Laufey.
Her castle stood in Frost Giant territory. Once they left, the Frost Giants might well retaliate against Fischl.
She could hardly hold out alone. Odin could not simply walk away and leave this child behind.
Without realizing it, he overlooked the fact that even he could not break through the protective barrier around Fischl's castle.
To thank and protect her, he had brought the girl and her night raven along when the Bifrost descended.
Fischl knew none of this yet, however. The sight of Odin's fury was still fresh in her mind, reminding her that just a few minutes earlier, she had brazenly called him an old man.
That was terribly rude.
Fischl felt rather uneasy.
"Um... well, sorry. I didn't mean it earlier."
Odin smiled. This child certainly knew when to apologize.
"I'm the one who should thank you, child. Without your help, there's no telling what terrible trouble those disobedient youngsters would have gotten into."
Compared with his earlier rage, Odin now seemed like a kindly grandfather from next door.
The change left Fischl feeling almost overwhelmed by his kindness, and she could not help relaxing.
Odin studied Fischl for a moment. "You're an outstanding child, and a worthy ruler."
His tone was certain:
"If only my children were as sensible as you."
After those two boys had given him such a headache, Odin now found everything about Fischl admirable. She was the very picture of someone else's perfect child.
He had once had a daughter, Hela, too. But now Hela was imprisoned, Thor had been exiled, and only Loki remained...
Alas, Loki was a good child. He might be mischievous, but his nature was not bad. Yet the secret of his origins remained a ticking time bomb hidden deep in Odin's heart.
Odin composed himself and said to Fischl, "I'm sorry for bringing you to Asgard this way. Jotunheim isn't safe right now. Stay here for a few days without worry, child."
"Let us offer you our hospitality, as thanks for saving their lives."
Odin spoke sincerely, and Fischl found it difficult to refuse. He was her elder, after all, and his reasoning made sense. Jotunheim really was unsafe; if she stayed there, she might be in danger as well.
Besides, this was exactly what she wanted. The quest, "The Frost Comes."
Quest objective: assist Asgard in facing the threat of the Frost Giants.
The quest progress bar was only at 10%, which meant Thor's exile was not the end of the incident.
She nodded in agreement.
Odin smiled. "Good child."
"Loki."
He turned to his younger son. Although Loki had followed Thor into trouble, he had at least shown some sense. At the very least, he had known Thor's plan was unreliable and arranged for someone to notify him.
So, despite his anger, Odin did not reprimand him too harshly.
"Father."
Loki was a little apprehensive. His mind was in turmoil.
No one knew that he had been the one to let in the two Frost Giants who had intruded into Asgard during Thor's coronation.
His aim had been to interrupt Thor's ceremony.
He believed his abilities and intelligence surpassed Thor's, yet his father always favored Thor and frequently ignored his efforts.
That had given Loki an idea.
He would encourage Thor to stir up trouble with the Frost Giants in Jotunheim. He had calculated the timing and arranged a way out.
As soon as they left via the Bifrost, the person he had arranged would tell Odin about Thor's plan.
That way, his father would naturally be deeply disappointed in Thor.
Although a few minor things had gone wrong along the way, the outcome was more or less what he had expected.
His father had indeed been furious, but Loki had never expected him to be angry enough to give up on Thor outright.
Loki should have been delighted with this outcome, but one thing kept weighing on his mind.
Asgardians were injured when they touched a Frost Giant's skin. Yet when a Frost Giant had grabbed his arm, he had not been hurt. Instead, his arm had turned the same color as the Frost Giant's skin.
Was it a coincidence? Or had he imagined it?
He needed an answer, and he knew where to find it.
"Take Fischl and her companion to your mother. She will make the arrangements."
"Yes, Father."
Frigga, the queen, was a gentle, intelligent woman.
She was tall and slender, with her long golden hair pinned behind her head. Refined and graceful, she radiated elegance.
She was also an ordinary mother, one who could feel angry and hurt by her sons' recklessness, and rejoice at their safe return.
"Oh, Loki."
Frigga gave her younger son a big hug.
"I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't stop Thor."
Loki lowered his head nervously.
"Loki, are you all right?"
Frigga asked with concern. She did not blame her younger son for what had happened. She knew how stubborn Thor could be, and this time he had gone too far.
"I'm fine." Loki nodded, his expression perfectly calm.
"This is Her Highness Fischl, and Mr. Oz. Thanks to them, we were able to escape the Frost Giants pursuing us."
Fischl stepped forward:
"Even the morning star of this world cannot eclipse your radiance. Wong of the Immernachtreich wishes to remain forever in friendship with you."
Oz said, "What mein Fräulein means is, it's a pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, too. Thank you for everything you've done for Thor and Loki."
Frigga took a great liking to Fischl and Oz. She immediately arranged accommodations for them and attended to every detail of their meals and daily needs.
Fischl and Oz settled into Asgard, enjoying Odin's instructions and Frigga's special care.
The two had a wonderful time there, until one day Odin fell into a deep sleep without warning. As the only prince present, Loki became Asgard's ruler.
Frigga stayed by Odin's bedside all day, unwilling to leave, and grew visibly thinner.
"He has put it off for a very long time. It's difficult for him to hold on now."
The queen's eyes were filled with sorrow. Whenever she thought of her eldest son still in exile, perhaps unable even to see his father one last time, she could not help crying.
Fischl wanted very much to help Frigga, but there was nothing she could do.
After leaving Odin's palace, Fischl and Oz were stopped on their way back to their lodgings.
"So, it is you. For what reason do you bar this Prinzessin's path?"
Fischl looked at Sif and the others before her.
"Your Highness, Prinzessin who judges all evil, please help us."