Chapter 32 - Castle Halls
The magnificent royal castle was visible for most of Lilly’s trip through the city, giving a sense of anticipation to all its visitors. Great spires and halls of white stone, decorated by large windows and flying buttresses, could be seen from all angles.
Lilly had never seen anything quite like it. She felt something might be missing in Thundrel, in comparison. The barracks didn’t have quite the same effect on visitors, despite the lavish interior.
‘So that’s where Adelia has lived all her life… It’s magnificent! Only a shame it belongs to such a bastard of a king.’
‘It’s gotten bigger since my last time here,’ Myndia responded. Her voice made it seem like she was reminiscing of days long gone.
‘What were you doing here that time?’ Lilly asked, imagining some great conflict or tense argument. She was grateful that this talk didn’t require her breath because she was getting a bit winded walking up this long hill.
‘A funeral. I was good friends with the queen and was invited to say some words when she was buried…’
‘Oh, sorry… I guess rulers come in all shapes and sizes.’
‘Yeah… The greatest flaw with having kings and queens is that you never know how the next one will be. I might have given my immortality to some of them if I could. That would save a lot of lives,’ Myndia responded heavily, and with the voice Lilly recognized as being filled with regret.
Lilly was surprised by her willingness to give her immortality away, but she knew Myndia well enough to understand her reasoning. With the burdens and regrets she stubbornly held on to, she might have longed for the end many times already.
‘... I’m surprised there aren’t more demigods ruling countries in the world. Their power and lifespans should make it easy to take charge. Why haven’t you ever gone in that direction?’
‘Because I’m not one of the rulers I would have given my immortality to. I’m prideful, easily angered, and I only care for my own. I would make a horrible queen, especially an immortal one.’
‘I disagree. If you were to take the position, I’m sure you would think of all the people as your own. And I’ve only seen you get angry when it’s warranted.’
‘Well, now perhaps I would be okay, but I’ve lived a long life at this point,’ Myndia retorted, clearly having lower thoughts about her former self. ‘... You would make a good one.’
‘No, not you too! Adelia was trying the same thing, and I’m totally against it! And we’re similar, I also anger easily, and I take a lot of pride in my accomplishments!’
‘You get angry on others' behalf, and you only take pride in your own hard effort. Have you ever been proud of your position as Lady Protector?’
‘Man, this city sure is loud; I can’t hear you anymore,’ Lilly responded, sticking two proverbial fingers in her ears. She was not about to be even slightly convinced to take such a position.
Stopping the conversation there was fitting either way, because Lilly now stood before the gates of the castle. An entire squad of eight guards stood in front of it, now looking at Lilly with serious expressions.
Lilly still felt winded, but she managed to speak properly. “Greetings! I have a letter… a letter from the Lady Protector of… of Thundrel, and from Princess Adelia… Can you let me in?”
Speaking between her gasps of air felt a bit awkward, but their heavy stares made her feel nervous, and so she felt she had to state her business. She held the letter bearing the seal of Thundrel out to one of the guards, letting him inspect it.
One of the guards looked at another, who promptly nodded back, seemingly confirming the authenticity of the seal. The first guard turned to Lilly, looking less imposing now. “I’ll take you inside, but you’ll likely have to wait a while to meet His Majesty. Follow me.”
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Seeing the stairs the guard had started ascending, Lilly cursed her bad shape. A gust of wind rustled her hair as she bent down and tried catching her breath. ‘I really have to stop flying everywhere; this is embarrassing.’
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The interior of the castle was just as regal and opulent as its exterior, if not more so. Golden chandeliers and exquisite furniture, along with grand portraits of royal families throughout the years, could be seen on every wall she passed.
Lilly thought she was ready for this meeting with the king, but her nerves started telling her this was a bad idea. She distracted herself with the paintings, looking for the one where Adelia would be. That way, she could get an idea of what the king looked like ahead of time.
She figured the nerves would help her play the part of a young soldier sent to deliver a letter to the king, and that calmed her slightly.
The guard she was following turned to her and gestured to an open door, showing a room filled with couches and a few servants at the ready. “Please wait here. It might take a while, depending on the king’s schedule, so please feel free to ask the servant for some refreshments.”
Lilly nodded in thanks and went to sit down on one of the couches, feeling her heart beating just as fast as before. Her breath had gotten back to normal, at least.
‘Is this place similar to how you remember it, Myndia?’
‘Yes, most of it is very similar. The portraits are different, though; I don’t recognize any of those families. I think they move the older ones to a more vaulted display room.’
Lilly was about to ask for something to drink from one of the servants, but was interrupted by the guard she had followed sticking his head into the room. “Uhm, it seems the king is ready for you already. Please follow me.”
Panic started spreading through her body as Lilly stared back at him. She wondered how the king could have gotten ready so fast unless he knew she was coming.
‘Did they see me flying? Did someone send a message from Thundrel? Or is it a coincidence?’ she asked, both to herself and to Myndia.
‘... It’s not unusual for kings to be ready for visitors, but I would prepare for the worst. You barely had time to sit down, so it seems strange.’
Lilly was once again following the guard, walking along the red carpet most visitors likely followed during their audiences. She was debating just being honest and showing her identity once she met him, but couldn’t make a decision.
Her confidence in her powers made everything less scary, but she still had some respect for the position of ruler, if not the king himself.
‘How easy would it be to escape if they tried something?’ she asked, hoping to assuage her most pressing fears.
‘Formations can be a lot of trouble, especially if they know who you are, but I highly doubt they managed to make something particularly bothersome on such short notice. It’s possible they prepared something specialized in handling the flame well in advance, but even then, I doubt it would cause much trouble.’
Her words helped calm Lilly down. Now all she feared was the king’s reaction to the letter. She doubted he would be calm about it, especially since Adelia had written it.
The red carpet ended by a grand door, guarded by two guards clad in golden armor. It was the same armor that Selene usually wore, meaning they were both members of the Royal Guard.
Lilly swallowed nervously, imagining having to fight two soldiers of Selene’s caliber. She was one of the strongest members of the Royal Guard, but that didn’t mean these two were any weaker.
‘I’m starting to feel a bit stupid, Myndia. You’re sure this will be fine?’
‘Not sure, no. But I know you’re the strongest holder of the flame in history other than myself, and even that could be debated. Not including experience, of course.’
Lilly took a deep breath while the golden guards moved to open the doors, going through her task here one more time before it was too late.
The doors opened to reveal a magnificent throne room, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Lilly’s eyes wandered for a second before she remembered who would be sitting on the throne looking back at her.
King Holtar was similar to his brother, with blonde hair and defined features. But he also had a certain gravity to him that Lilly found hard to explain. A profound weight to his stare, which made her look down at the floor.
‘I’m just acting intimidated, he didn’t scare me…’ she assured herself. Eolanathel also had a certain gravity to his presence, but it was more sharp in nature, while this was overbearing.
Lilly walked forward, with her eyes darting around the room, searching for formations. Nothing obvious could be seen, but it was normal for formations to be hidden. Especially those used in traps.
She stopped walking once she felt she was close enough to the throne and bowed to King Holtar. It felt unpleasant to bow to him, but this had all been her own idea.
“Rise,” the king said calmly, and Lilly obeyed.