Prince Of Asgard

Chapter 17

I suddenly find myself standing in a giant, spherical room. Directly in front of me is a raised platform. And standing on that platform is a man, decked out in gold armor, wearing a helmet, holding a spear.
    "Greetings, Loki." He rumbles. I notice his eyes are yellow. Loki nods to him respectfully.
    "Heimdall. Thank you for allowing us passage." He looks at me. "This is Samantha Rose, a human."
    "Hi." I squeak. I clear my throat and try again. "Hi. Nice to meet you." Heimdall turns his sharp eyes on me, and I feel an urge to hide behind Loki. But I don't give in, and stare back at him. After a few seconds he chuckles.
    "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Samantha Rose."
    Loki takes a step forward.
    "Tell me of my parents, Heimdall. Are they well?"
    "Aye. It will be quite a shock for them to see you here. And with a human girl. Thor will be surprised, as well."
    "Thor is here?" Loki asks. I detect a hint of longing in his voice. Heimdall inclines his head slightly, then withdraws his sword from a hole in the platform and steps down.
    "Your parents and Thor are in the throne room. I suggest you allow me to call someone to escort you. Your family may not feel safe seeing you here, at first."
    "I understand." Loki nods. Heimdall leaves the room, and I take the moment to gaze around.
    "Oh. My. Word, this is so cool!" I laugh, spinning in a circle. "I'm on a different planet. I'm in a different galaxy!" I squeal and jump in the air, then notice Loki is watching me in amusement. I stop jumping and clear my throat, moving back beside him. A few seconds go by. "I get to meet Thor?"
    "Most likely."
    "Awesome."
    Heimdall comes back a minute later, followed by a small array of guards in armor. I'm starting to feel more nervous and excited every second. Loki notices me shaking with ecstasy, and gently takes my arm, leading me beside him out the door.
    I stare at the sky in awe. This far from the city, the sky looks like night, and is showered with stars and galaxies. Being a huge science nerd, I can't help but feel tiny in comparison. I notice that the sky gets brighter closer to the city, eventually becoming bright as day right above the city. I look down and see why it's called the rainbow bridge. We're walking on a solid platform of color, that changes every second. Below that are waters that cascade like a waterfall, disappearing into nothingness. Then I turn my eyes to the city.
    It's all gold and silver, with spires rising up like the pipes on an organ. They reflect the starlight, making them appear to be glowing. The whole sight is beautiful. It takes my breath away.
    We continue walking until we reach the end of the bridge. Then we walk until we reach the palace. Guards open the massive double doors, and we enter. I can't see over the heads of our escorts, but I can stare at the ceiling. I have to tilt my head way back to see the apex.
    "My whole apartment building could fit in here," I whisper to Loki. I see him smile.
   We continue marching at a fast pace to the end of the room. I hear a guard say something, and the rest of the guards break away, moving to stand on either side of the room.
    There before us is another platform, higher than the first. Upon it sit four thrones, three of which are occupied by none other than Thor, Odin, and Frigga.
    "Don't talk unless you're spoken to." Loki whispers so only I can hear, then takes a step forward. I hear his mother gasp, and Thor looks stunned. Odin, on the other hand, looks outraged.
    "What right do you have to come back here?!" He bellows. I see Loki flinch slightly before bowing.
    "Father." He says. "I have come to make amends for my wrongs."
    "How do we know that this isn't one of your tricks?!"
    Loki looks back at me and smiles slightly, then motions for me to come forward. I creep up, staring in awe at Odin, who looks about ready to rip someone's head off.
    "Who are you?" He growls. I glance at Loki, who gives me an encouraging nod. I take a deep breath.
    "I am Samantha Rose. I'm from New York City, in the United States of America, Earth." Odin looks down on me. I stand straight. Odin glares, then looks back at Loki.
    "You have brought a human here. This tells us nothing and gives us no reason to trust you."
    "Allow me to explain, father." Loki says softly. "I was hiding on Amaroc, from Ango the Battleking. I was seeking refuge in the lodge of a woman named Ursula when I was struck from behind. Ursula had been working alongside Ango to find me. They gave me a potion that stole my memories, then threw me into the Void to be rid of me. But I was deposited on Midgard. Samantha found me and took care of me. She has become a close friend." He hesitates. "When my memory returned, I felt repentant of what I had done. In attacking her planet, I had killed many people, including her brother. But she forgave me of that and said that it doesn't matter who I was before, but who I was to be from then on."
    The end of his last sentence leaves the throne room in resounding silence. I feel intensely awkward. Then the silence is broken by a deep, booming laugh. It's coming from Thor. He claps his hands, still grinning, then stands up and walks down the steps, enveloping Loki in a hug.
    "Welcome home, brother."