Return of the General's Daughter

Back at the training ground of Norse Manor, a cacophony of shouting and laughter echoed as Gideon and Peredur clashed—not over swords or strategy—but over who would be the first to ride the peculiar new invention: the bicycle.

Gideon, who loved mechanics, begged Mattias to let him apprentice at his shop. And because he was Lara’s brother, he allowed him to.

That day, when Lara entered the palace again to teach the members of the Swan Dance Club, he and his twin brothers went to Matthias’ shop to pick up the bike. Barney, Matthias’ son, had been the first to attempt a ride, but the contraption resisted his efforts, sending him tumbling into a heap. Each brother followed suit, trying—and failing—to tame the two-wheeled beast. With a mix of frustration and awe, they decided to take it home and show it to the one person who had brought it into existence.

Even General Odin and Freya were amazed at how their daughter could develop such an idea.

"Gideon," Odin said, his voice low with suspicion, "this design—it isn’t yours?"

Gideon straightened. "No, Father. It is Lara’s. Every line, every measurement, came from her hand."

Odin stroked his beard. "It’s simple... and yet impossibly clever. This isn’t something one conjures from thin air."

Peridur hummed his agreement. He crouched beside the bicycle, spinning the pedal with a flick of his hand. "It moves like a wheel... but carries the rider like a chariot."

Just then, the iron gates of the manor creaked open. A carriage swept into the courtyard, and out stepped Lara and Mira. They returned early. The sun still hovered high in the sky, casting short shadows as the girls walked toward their waiting family.