Rowan paced around anxiously as the crew eased the Wind Rose into port. The city of Særis was so much grander than she could have ever anticipated, and she lacked the same sense of direction she'd had upon arriving in Midiris to distract her from the awe-filled stupor she was experiencing. To make matters worse, Dralik had told them they would need to wait around for a representative of the Særan Court to welcome them into the city. As such, Rowan's only real option besides waiting below deck was taking in more of the stupefying vistas whilst trying to not be in the way.
Rather than looking to the city proper, however, Rowan instead alternated between the harbour and the Channel of Prosperity to the west. Compared to Midiris, it was alarmingly open. If it wasn’t for the fixed battlements or the unmistakable naval presence in the Channel of Prosperity, one might be convinced the city was ripe for pillaging. They would be fools, of course. Even if an invading force could seize control of the harbour, they would still have the walls to contend with.
With that said, Rowan still felt Midiris did naval defence better, and there was a charm to the harbour of her homeland's capital that was lacking here. Granted, it was likely her pride in her homeland was rising to the challenge offered by the radiant splendour before her. In truth, both cities were equally incredible, but they still fell short of Næmyris; an opinion that totally wasn't Rowan being petulant or biassed.
*****
It took almost an hour for the courtier to arrive, an exquisitely dressed man with long flowing black hair, and an exceptionally sharp bodkin beard paired with an equally fine curled moustache. He was accompanied by an honour guard wearing military parade uniforms and an Awakened Pair. Upon being given permission to board, he approached Rowan and Seres, and greeted them with a bow.
“Særis welcomes you, esteemed visitors. I am Lord Marius of House Divalin, Minister of Foreign Relations, and Master of Ceremonies. His Majesty apologises for not being here to greet you as he is currently breaking fast with Her Majesty of Llen Færa.”
Rowan heard Seres gasp in surprise. “Mother is already here?”
“She arrived last Drachen, Your Highness,” Marius confirmed.
Seres gave him a melancholic sigh.
“It's okay, Seres,” Rowan told her. “Your mother will understand why we were delayed, and we're still here in time for your birthday. Even if only just.”
The young princess turned to Rowan and smiled weakly. “You're right,” she admitted. Then her eyes opened wide. “Wait! What was that about my birthday?”
Rowan giggled softly. “If I'm not mistaken, you'll be turning seventeen in just a couple of days.”
“But we were supposed to be here with almost a week to spare?”
The truth of Rowan's statement dawned on her before she even finished speaking.
“Well, now I feel stupid,” Seres remarked.
“If I may, Your Highness,” Marius interjected, “it is perfectly reasonable for you to err as you did, especially if you haven't given it much thought since your departure from Midiris. You are not the only person to experience such a disconnect between expectation and what you know to be true. I, for one, have experienced it at least three times in the past decade.”
“Thank you for your sage advice, Lord Marius. I was just a little surprised, is all.”
“That is fair, Your Highness. If you and Lady Naliir are ready, we will escort you to the palace. King Dreigan is waiting.”
Rowan and Seres shared a look. Even with Lord Marius appearing trustworthy, they were somewhat apprehensive of the fairly substantial honour guard standing on the pier. It wouldn't have been as bad in Midiris; the idea of the Good Lords being active in the Llen Færan capital wasn’t even worth considering. In Særis, however, they were both uncomfortably aware that the Good Lords had some kind of presence in the nation as a whole, if not the city itself. Furthermore, while it was highly unlikely the Good Lords would do anything too overt within the city walls, the apprehension at the possibility was hard to shake, even with Lochlan and Liadra right beside them.
Their apprehension was lessened by Dralik making it clear that he and two of his elites would join the escort. Marius didn’t even bat an eyelid at the suggestion. With Rowan and Seres finally giving the go-ahead, they made their way into the city proper, while a cabin boy who had been tasked with leading the horses followed at a respectable distance.
The closer they got to the city walls, the tinier Rowan felt. It was a miracle that the islands the city was built on didn’t sink from their sheer size alone. They were arguably thick enough to accommodate a moderately sized house with room to spare. At the same time, they didn’t feel at all imposing. If anything, they were exciting. Perhaps even alluring.
With that said, she expected the city itself to be dark and claustrophobic. There was a limit to how much the city could expand outwards, after all, and it had been growing for well over a thousand years. When they made their way through the monolithic gatehouse, however, she was swiftly proven wrong. It was as if the city had been cultivated like a garden made of stone and mortar. Every single building was placed to allow for clear views across the city while the elegant towers crafted a dynamic, ever-changing skyline that was somehow even more impressive up close.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
No matter which way Rowan looked, she could see so much further than she thought possible. There was only so much the open plan of the city could do, however, as the walls were tall enough to cast large portions of the city into darkness for much of the day, especially in winter. The way they solved this issue was truly inspired; each tower was built in such a way that it would catch the light and diffuse it to the streets below.
The streets themselves were also works of art, with the main thoroughfare being especially beautiful. It was adorned with dormant sky blossom trees on either side, something that Rowan knew would be simply divine come spring. The green-blue thumb of nature didn’t end there, however, as a marching legion of flowerbeds flanked by two tiny streams of water partitioned the thoroughfare through the centre line.
With it being a day of rest, the streets were relatively quiet, but Rowan could tell that some of them were wide enough to comfortably fit four, or maybe even six, well-sized carriages side-by-side. Even stranger were the alleyways, as they too were incredibly open. So much so they stood in defiance of everything Rowan knew to expect about alleyways.
*****
After around twenty minutes of meandering through the open cityscape of the west isle, Lord Marius led them to a giant of a carriage. When they arrived, he turned to face them with a regretful sigh.
He started by saying, “I must apologise,” which had Rowan reaching for Elan Fiir. Seeing Rowan’s agitation and the threat in her eyes, he held up both hands before clarifying what he meant.
“Normally, I would have had the carriage wait for us back at the harbour. As this is your first time visiting Særis, however, I wanted to give you the best possible impression of our fair city, which means seeing her for yourself without obstruction. A carriage would have prevented that. At the same time, I would not ask you to walk all the way to the palace, so I ordered the carriage to wait here. It is large enough for myself, the two of you, and your personal escort, so you don’t need to worry about your safety.”
Rowan relaxed slightly, but her fingers lingered on the hilt of Elan Fiir for a second, withdrawing them in earnest only when Seres placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. When her heart rate settled, they started climbing into the carriage. Lochlan was first, followed by Rowan and Seres, then Liadra, and finally Marius and Dralik.
Marius wasn’t kidding when he said it was large enough for all of them. Even with Dralik’s towering stature, there was plenty of room. The seats were lavish and velvety, and the windows on either side of the carriage meant that they could still enjoy the rolling cityscape.
*****
As the rest of their escort was still on foot, the carriage ride to the palace was fairly leisurely. With it taking them a little more than an hour to reach the bridge to the next island, Rowan was amazed that Lord Marius arrived so quickly. Even if he had been travelling at a markedly faster pace, there was still at least one more island between them and the palace. Add in the time it would have taken to deliver the message in the first place, and Rowan was left wondering if he had been deployed in advance.
Either way, the bridge between the two islands was just as impressive as the cityscape had been. It was similar in design to the bridge back in Baromiir, only it was much shallower despite being taller on account of its length. It was also walled and covered, effectively turning it into an arcade, though it was still exceptionally well lit on account of all the windows and viewing ports that conveniently doubled as arbalest stations.
On the other side of the bridge lay the second island. It was a wee bit smaller than the first, and the buildings were clustered closer together, which resulted in pockets of more typical city planning. Another key difference between the two islands was in how the clustering on the second island enabled the placement of various parks and gardens all around, which is something that would have been highly impractical for the more integrated design of the first island.
They reached the bridge leading to the palace an hour later. Unlike the other bridges they had crossed up to that point, this one was flat and open to the elements. Normally, Rowan would have questioned the rationale behind such a design in terms of removing vulnerabilities, but this was the exception. For one, the area of the city leading to the bridge was raised high enough that you couldn't access the bridge from the deck of a ship. It was also supported on both sides by four giant chains, the links of which alone were bigger than Rowan. Lastly, there was evidence that chains also served the purpose of turning the bridge into a drawbridge, which would allow ships to pass through whilst also denying access if the city was ever attacked.
The gatehouses on either side of the bridge were also veritable death traps. It was dark, and the walls were lined with small openings for crossbows and spears. Rowan could also see what appeared to be a network of murder holes above them.
Being there, even if only for a moment, was enough to send a chill down Rowan's spine that had her panicking. Her breathing turned ragged, and her body felt both hot and cold. It was like being back in the caves. They were not designed to repel an invading force. They were made to kill.
Even Seres was breathing hard. The two girls locked their hands together for comfort. Lochlan and Liadra helped by drawing the curtains over the carriage windows when they realised what was happening.
Five minutes later, the carriage rolled to a stop. A servant opened the door, and sunlight filled the carriage. Seres sighed in relief, and Rowan started to relax. They were free.
Marius stepped out of the carriage first and the others followed suit in the reverse of how they entered. When Rowan and Seres stepped out, he motioned their gaze to the palace.
“It is with great honour that I am able to present our most precious gem, the Jewel of Heaven, to the both of you. This palace has stood for almost two thousand years, and it was completed on the same day as the double solar eclipse that touched the people of Ferran: a truly fortuitous moment.”
Any panic Rowan still felt slipped away as her gaze ascended her palace. It was as if it had been taken straight from a fairy tale with its ethereal spires and majestic countenance. Where the royal palace of Midiris was akin to the rising sun, the Jewel of Heaven harnessed the shimmering radiance of a thousand stars. There was a beauty to it that Rowan couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
It was too much. Rowan knew it was beautiful, but she couldn't relate to it. Even her wonder was confused by the palace's radiance. She had to ask herself, “Why?”