The cold blistering wind whips around his face as the snow falls heavily down upon them. He hates the fact that he had nagged so much to Max about wanting to be part of his gods that he regrets begging the viking to go today. It ended up with him and Max going through a blizzard.

Max had eventually giving in the the prince when he got the horses ready to go. If Charles hadn't thought that Max was being overdramatic about the stuff and the wolfs coming along, he would have scoffed at how Max had told Charles that they should take shelter.

But Charles had refused and didn't want to, so they were now trying to reach the lake sooner then later with Charles being a month pregnant at this moment. Which was early stages and Max was extra careful about the fact that Charles is pregnant.

The wind is to heavy to talk through, the snow is sticking to his fur and the hood that he is wearing. He had tried to stop Max from giving him his fur but the viking ignored Charles and draped his fur around Charles his shoulders. Who could only sigh and accept it.

He had been wondering for so many times how Max wouldn't get cold or freeze to death and maybe that was just down to the fact that he is a viking, probably the most stubborn viking to ever live. Which isn't something that is odd since Jos and Sophie once or twice opened the book of chiefs.

Which resulted in Charles realising that it was just a Verstappen thing to be this stubborn and to refuse to submit to the cold or the enemy. Weakness wasn't wrong or not allowed, it made them stronger that they know and understand that they have them. To know where their strengths lay.

After hours of riding through the endlessness of trees on either side of them while the snow casts down upon them. The cold had settled into his bones hours before while the viking next to him had not once given him the indication that he was cold or wet in that matter.

"We're here." Max says as he gets off his horse.

Charles looks around the clearing, finding nothing but big pine trees as tall as the skies, almost disappearing through the clouds. The clearing gives away nothing that shows Charles where the so called lake is suppose to be.

"There is nothing here?" Charles asks as Max chuckles before he walks away from Charles.

Charles watches how the viking walks over to one of the big trees and pulls away many vines, revealing a big and narrow passageway. The inside of the tree looks to be lit with many glowing mushrooms.

"This is the way?" Charles asks before Max nods.

He allows Charles to walk towards the opening in the tree trunk, waiting for Max to lead the way but the viking doesn't look to be moving an inch. No indication is given that Max is gonna lead the way down to the lake that Charles can only assume is somewhere down below.

"Aren't you gonna lead the way?" Charles asks nervous. But Max shakes his head.

"No, this is a process you need to do alone. It's a ritual you do on your own, as children you do this when you're five. You tell them to follow the blue Mushrooms down, to jump into the lake before you tell them to follow the same mushrooms back up." Max explains quickly to Charles.

Who nods his head before wrapping his arms around Max, to give his viking a quick kiss. Both knowing that they will see each other again. But for a moment he will have to go all alone down there to do this ritual like the gods had intended them for.

Charles takes a deep breath before pulling away from Max's arms and hands him back his fur to keep him warm while Charles will be down there for gods knows how long. He can do this alone, it's nothing bit following the blue mushrooms to the blood red lake, jump in and go back up.

As simple as that.

If it had only been that simple.

He walks passed the vines that Max holds to the side, as soon as he steps passed them, does Max let them go. The tunnel entirely dark with only barely lit mushrooms everywhere on the tunnel walls and floor to guide him the steep staircase down that he believes must have been carved down by either the gods or the vikings.

The hissing sound of the wind blowing passed his face, a cold shiver rubs down he spine as he can't believe he is walking through the dark on his own. He can't believe that he had allowed Max to let him do this on his own.

His hands slide against the stone wall, the rough surface skimming his skin. He knows that he isn't the best with looking in the dark. He according to what Max calls it, is night blind. Which doesn't help at all while walking through the dark tunnel.

The walls are wet and as he looks at his hands, they're painted blood red in colour. Is this the blood of the bad? He can't shake off the feeling that it has to be real blood otherwise it wouldn't be red. Water is never red.

The further he goes, the brighter the tunnel seems to get as he looks at the ceiling that has increasing amounts of glowing crystals hanging from the stone. It paints the tunnel around him a colour of red, orange, yellow, blue and purple.

The brighter the crystals get the more of the stone surface he can see. And to his surprise, it's actually red stone that he is surrounded by. Which to him doesn't make much sense why the water would turn red but he doesn't question it further then he had already done.

His eyes widen as he gets to the bottom, a huge clearing with all kinds of crystals scattered around the stone surface as a big lake lays in front of him and Max had heen right, the water is blood red and so crystal clear. He can see all the crystals down under the water too.

"Charles."

A faint voice calls out to him, his attention is drawn to the water. Max told him to wear all white to the lake as a reminder to the gods that he is committing to his believes in them entirely. Which was according to Max a way of telling that he was serious and that he does believe in the wonders of his culture.

He takes off his shoes before he does with his fur, he doesn't want to stain them but also not to get too heavy to sink to the bottom. But in his mind it's rude too, to leave your shoes on or fur on in the home of the gods. The dirty and filth that you drag in.

He steps into the warm water, settling into his bones as he walks deeper until he can go head under. He takes a deep breath before closing his eyes. He yelps when a force grabs onto his feet and start dragging him off to the depths of the lake.

He tries to free himself from the pull but seems to grab onto nothing but his own body. It's like the gods or spirits are pulling him under, wanting to drown him and not submit to their culture and believed. Not to allow him to go back to Max, what about their baby?

The force seems to let go and he starts to kick his way up to the surface. Dragging his body onto the nearest rock that he could see. Coughing and panting while laying on his side, catching his breath.

"You think we would drown you, son?" A voice booms in echo through the cave.

His eyes fly open as the first thing he sees is stars. The starry nights that he used to watch the sky with Max in the snow while counting the stars that fall from the sky. Max had told Charles that those would be the dead, that stars would be all the people that look down upon them and protect them from Valhalla. That a falling star was nothing more then a loved one trying to communicate with them through granting wishes.

"I'm sorry, I'm new to this." Charles says fearfully while wrapping one arm around his waist.

A loud chuckle comes from the booming voice. He looks up to where the sound is coming from, in front of him is a glowing man, a big white beard with long white hair. A eyepatch i from of his eye as he gives Charles a smile.

"I know, we normally don't welcome newcomers like this. They normally just dip in the water and that's all, from then on we listen to them." The god says that Charles can only assume is Odin since Max had drawn the man for Charles as a reference.

Two smaller man sit next to the older one, one doesn't seem to look like the man at all. A wicked yet mischievous glint in his eyes. While his clothing stand out to Charles, green and yellow. Something that Max had referred to as the colours of villainess gods. Loki.

While another sits on the other side with a bog hammer and a big smile sporting his features while his hair is long and blonde. It kind of reminds him of Max, the blonde hair and the blue eyes. This one must be Thor, Odin's sons.

"But you! You seem to have believed we would listen before that, which i have to give you credit for when it's duo. But we didn't need to listen when we're talking about a viking like yours. Max defines the laws we gods set, he respects them but ultimately seems to ignore them because he doesn't see fit in dying until he knows that someone will take over that he sees worthy of, a very protective man, i like that about him." Odin says with his booming voice.

It commands so much attention that it makes Charles no longer wonder how no other culture was so close and spiritually connected with their gods. This man seems strong, powerful, stubborn and yet a listener, he knows about his people who live under his wing and believe in him.

"You on the other hand, are a delicate flower. Something that your viking would do anything for to protect. And as i mentioned before, we never welcome newcomers personally, mostly because they're five years old but you had drawn my attention to you. Not only because you manage to make the most stubborn viking love you, but also because you are the first and only royal male to be able to conceive, which is in the history of human kind long and quite rare which puts a big target on your back. You have never been ordinary." Odin speaks before looking at Charles.

It had always made him wonder in some way why he had been the first. What is so special about a royal male pregnancy? He gets the feeling he doesn't want to know that answer either.

"You will never be ordinary, which in some cases is what people love or congratulate you upon. But I'm here to tell you that it's not something to celebrate about. It does make you less vulnerable to fatal illness and injuries, only positive of your entire situation. Because you're gonna be hunted your entire life, you're special already but the baby that you have in your stomach, will be stronger then your viking, smarter and more gifted at things." Odin explains to Charles.

He knew it, he knew that whatever Odin was going to tell him. It would lead to nothing to celebrate about, because he is the most rarest thing in the world and it makes sense now. Why the Reykvikians attack his home country or why they are after him. They know.

"I can hear you think, Charles, I'm your god now. But since the viking that helped you conceive this baby with is already a rarity in itself. Meaning that this baby will be born no matter how, because a male pregnancy is less likely to have miscarriages then woman. Mostly with Max as the other half of the genes. That baby will be a prodigy that is as much as i can say." Odin speaks.

Charles can't help but feel giddy by the fact that Odin had just confirmed that this baby will be alright, that nothing will happen to it. But he knows not to celebrate too soon about things like this.

"But how is Max so special himself? Is it the still born story Sophie told me?" Charles ask quickly before Odin could continue.

"Yes, Max was destined to die that night. I had him destined to die that night, as much as i have merci for my people, sometimes i need to let tragedy take its course. But when the wolf came to me with the bundle of cloth that was Max. I saw a world that ended up in chaos, a place where no one from the same gender love would be safe because Max wouldn't be there to protect his country from downfall, in that vision, son, Holland had ceased to exist because Max wasn't there to safe it. Your people had been mass murdered and no one would be left alive if Max wasn't there to reclaim many grounds back to safe your father and the people. You and your brothers would have ended up in Reykvik with you having to create an army with herbs that speed along the pregnancy to only thirty days and giving birth to six babies at a time. Which ended up with Reykivk taking over the world. So i had to safe the infant when the wolf had presented me with Max. If I didn't, not even my godly powers could have saved the world from tragedy." Odin speaks with a hint of disgust and fear in his voice.

It sends a chill down his spine that the existence of Max has so much impact on the world as he knows it. That if Max hadn't been alive today he would have been in so much pain and torture. It makes him feel glad that Odin had spared Max.

"So Max plays a huge role in the world? If he is erased from existence? The world would have been hell?" Charles asks unsure.

"Yes, son. But if I resurrected a still born, they will never be like other kids growing up. They have more intellect, skilled at every fighting style because i only bring still borns back alive if they are from importance to the world. They are naturally more stronger and can withstand so much more then anyone else and him being a verstappen may even add so much more. Why else do you think your viking is still alive? He got the willpower to not crumble and still stand on his two feet looking fear straight into the eyes." Odin chuckles before clearing his throat.

He moves his hand before an image of Max throwing the two wolves through the veins shouting something at them while drawing his sword. Charles feels his heart sink to his feet. He looks up at Odin if this is true. His eyes catch a glimpse of Max fighting with Reykvikians before ultimately get knocked out and dragged off somewhere.

"He is a strong man, not fighting to his full potential to distract them from the fact that you are down here. He's a smart man too, he knows that i would come for a talk with you. Which can last as long as i desire because they can't find you in this dimension that i brought you to. Because your body is here and not in the cave tunnel that you were." Odin says as Charles keeps looking at the image.

"So you're holding me here prison until you want me to leave? Is that how this works? You keep me prison while you let Max fend for himself? Hasn't he gone through enough! Isn't he worth saving? Or does he have to suffer every time that he gets into combat?" Charles shouts angrily at the gods.