Finally, the carriage joined the queue, causing two guards to approach the carriage slowly and lazily. It seemed that the guards were already worn out from their long shift and eagerly awaited the sun to set so that this day would finally come to an end.
—Did anything unusual happen? —Orrin asked, as he saw the two disinterested guards approaching. If he compared them to guards from other cities he had visited, these guards probably had the worst appearance. They must have been the most worn out by their routine.
—No, fortunately...— the guard commented with a forced smile, trying to mask their fatigue —But you're the last carriage we need to inspect. Our shift will be over soon.
—I see, seems like it's been a long day...— Orrin commented, gazing at the two guards intently —But I'm afraid you'll have to inspect one more carriage: my lord is finishing a very long journey, and he's traveling in the carriage behind. It wouldn't be wise for you two to make us wait for the shift change. My lord might get angry, and believe me when I say you wouldn't want that to happen.
—I'm sorry, but we don't make exceptions— one of the guards responded with a somewhat forced but well-practiced smile. It appeared these guards had plenty of experience dealing with nobles.
—Yes, you certainly will! —shouted a guard sitting in a chair beside the massive gates. The man was quite far away, but it seemed all his attention was focused on the two black carriages that had recently joined the queue. Unlike all the other guards working at this gate, this man had white hair and, even more notably, was the only one bearing a scar on his body. The old guard wore a worn leather armor, patched in places, unlike the guards attending to carriages with finely decorated silver armor adorned with rose patterns. This indicated that this old guard was likely the only one at this gate who had truly risked his life at some point to defend something he cherished.
The guard struggled to rise with the help of a cane by his side, revealing that he had lost one of his legs long ago. Once standing, the guard at the gate shouted again, glaring with severity as all the guards suddenly straightened upon hearing his voice:
—And not only you two will be working beyond your shift: Open "the gate" and bring out the carriages in line! Let the march of the colossi of the Black Forest be heard!
Upon hearing the guard with the cane mention opening "the gate", all the guards attending to their posts glared with extreme annoyance at the two black carriages that had just arrived, especially those guards who had finished inspecting their carriages and were preparing to return home. These scoundrels had extended their workday!
However, no guard dared to voice their reproach and began to carry out the given orders. Meanwhile, Orrin and Mateo watched as the guards started running the other carriages in the queue to the sides, forming a grand corridor of carriages and revealing the massive gates of the capital city at the end.
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In truth, these gates hardly ever opened, except for when someone important entered or exited the city in a formal manner. Most carriages used secondary gates located just beside the massive gates. This was not only a matter of practicality to save effort by not opening the large gates, but also a way to keep them closed for as long as possible, implying to outsiders that these lands were exclusive. The other significant reason for this practice was to mark status: secondary noble families, carriages with servants, and the like were meant to enter through the smaller gates, while gazing in impotence at the massive wall gates, a reminder that they weren't truly worthy of entering the imperial capital.
Drawing from his experience, Orrin deduced that Apolo's grandfather had arranged for a formal reception for his grandson. Thus, the head guard must have been informed that two black carriages with red wheels would arrive in the capital around this time. Once most carriages had been moved, it didn't take long for Orrin to be informed that he should also move, and that only Apolo's carriage was allowed through the grand gates. Rather than take offense, Orrin watched with pride as the whole spectacle unfolded, and even prouder, he observed his somewhat nervous son, attempting to keep the sweat from showing on his face as he became the center of attention for all the other drivers.
As these preparations were underway, passersby in the vicinity noticed the colossal gates slowly opening, revealing a glimpse of the magnificent radiance of the capital. People began to gather on the surrounding streets to witness the formal reception.
Finally, the two grand gates were fully open, exposing the interior of the capital. Only grass, trees, and all sorts of exotic plants could be seen, surrounding a path paved with azure tiles resembling the sky.
As this happened, the gate guards lined up, forming a corridor for Apolo's carriage to pass through. Each guard held drums that had been quickly fetched for the occasion. Once everything was set, Mateo noticed his father signaling, and with hundreds of eyes on his carriage, he began to guide it towards the capital.
As soon as the carriage started moving, Apolo, who had kept the curtains closed, began to hear the resonating drums from outside. Somewhat surprised, he slightly parted the curtain to observe the source of the familiar sound. It was then that the young noble became aware of the whole spectacle unfolding. Far from liking it, Apolo nervously watched the guards that had formed a procession to receive him.
The sound Apolo heard was none other than his family's anthem, a simple war march played on drums. The march was repetitive and sought to echo the motto of his family:
> "Embrace the fallen first, then embrace yourself."
This implied that respecting those who died in battle was most important, followed by self-respect.
The carriage gradually approached the capital's gates, basking in the beautiful reception. A large crowd gathered to see what was happening, making the reception even more memorable. However, the main protagonist of this reception had long closed his curtains and was more concerned reading an old, yellowed scroll obsessively, as if his entire future lay within those few paragraphs.