When We Lie

Chapter 30

The Bifrost spits you out into a half circular room made from gold and bronze, intricate carvings and big mechanics moving as the machine turns. In the middle, on a platform, stands a man wearing armor from the same material making up the Bifrost. He holds a sword piercing the platform, looking at the two of you with unblinking, light eyes. Just as with the giants, you can see their golden colour even from a distance.

"Heimdall," Loki greets him. "Thank you for letting me through."

"My pleasure, my prince. It was partly my fault your guest ended up in Jotunheim, it is only fit I help correct it." His eyes land on you. "Hello there, insignificant little human."

You blush. "I... Thank you, for picking me up. And I'm sorry for making your day harder."

Loki looks at you. "Insignificant?"

"I had to placate him somehow," you mutter.

"Is your name truly Charlie?" Heimdall asks in amusement.

"Well, it's the name my adoptive parents gave me." For over a decade, you were known as PR10 and Robin, then Charlie. Names aren't anything special to you.

Loki glances at you and takes your hand. "Let's go. Odin is waiting."

Heimdall nods at the rounded exit where guards in golden armor stand, waiting for you. Do they not have any other metals than gold and bronze?

You follow Loki and greet the guards with a nod. They close in around you and you move closer to Loki. He squeezes your hand but it doesn't help calm you down. They're too close for comfort regardless.

The rainbow bridge looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi film, with cords of light pulsating underneath your feet. The water far, far down below moves like a raging monster. In the distance, the Asgardian city whose name no one's told you rises above the ground, the buildings massive and shiny. Again, do they have normal iron and paint it over, or just gold? And bronze.
It takes forever for your group to get to solid ground, but when you do, you're greeted by smiling children and colours everywhere. Seems like there's a parade going on in the city.

You walk past stalls selling toys, sweets and clothes, boutiques with beautiful flowers the likes of which you've never seen, wagons driven by horses, dancing men and women of all ages, shouting cheerfully at each other. Reminds you of the scene from Tangled when Rapunzel sees Corona for the first time.

A child hands you a pretty pink flower and you put it behind Loki's ear. You giggle and he rolls his eyes, but he can't help but smile. The guards are taken aback by your actions but pretend they don't notice you and Loki are walking shoulder to shoulder, still holding hands.

"That smells delicious," you say as the aroma of freshly baked goods fills the air. Your stomach growls, reminding you you never got to finish eating at the banquet.

Loki snickers and looks at one of the guards. "Can we make a stop at the bakery?"

"Yes, my prince."

One of the guards follows you into the brightly painted bakery so you can browse. And by Yggdrasil, you love it.

It takes forever for you to decide on what you want. Since it's a bakery, they don't have much else but fresh bread and pastries, but you don't mind. In the end, Loki buys you a pastel de nata, cannoli and sufganiyot.

Loki turns to say something to you a few minutes later, but laughs when he sees you. "You have something... on your face." He takes one of the napkins he got from the bakery and wipes the jelly from your cheeks.

"This is so tasty!" you exclaim, stopping to give him easier access. "Please, are there any other places we can eat these? Oh! Are there desserts that can only be found in Asgard? Lemme try them!"