Elianna couldn't sit still, even if her life depended on it. She looked through the carriage window with anticipation, watching as the pedestrians walked on the sidewalk and people entered or exited buildings. This morning's events no longer weighed on her mind, as she was only focused on one thing: seeing the palace. She had seen the palace from a distance on several occasions, but she had never been inside. In fact, she had never gotten close to it.

"Excited?"

Elianna looked across from her, seeing her father sitting nonchalantly, smiling at her. Elianna returned her father's smile and nodded excitedly, "Very! I want to see all the rooms!"

Katarina chuckled, smiling warmly, "Maybe not all the rooms."

Elianna looked at her mother disapointedly, who was sitting beside her, "Why not?"

"Because there are over six hundred rooms inside the palace," Katarina said.

Elianna's eyes widened in surprise and awe, "Woah... That's so many."

Katarina nodded, "It is indeed. So, I will show you around the main parts of the palace. But we may not be able to see everything."

Elianna smiled and nodded with excitement, "Okay!"

Elianna looked outside when she felt the carriage begin to slow down and noticed they were nearing the front gates. Lucian shifted in his seat, scooting closer to the carriage's right window, and rolled the window down with the window crank. Several soldiers in Tri-Union combat uniforms and a mage in mage apparel came into view as their carriage came to a stop in front of the gate. A human female with orange hair and brown eyes, who looked to be in her thirties, with two gold discs on her collar, approached the carriage.

The female looked into the carriage from the window and immediately saluted when she noticed Lucian, "Good morning, Commander. We've been expecting you."

Lucian returned the female's salute, "Good morning, Sergeant." Lucian dropped his salute, "I hope everything has been going well."

The sergeant dropped her salute and nodded, "It has, Commander. Also, Lieutenant Commander Maurus wanted me to inform you that he will be waiting at the palace."

"Good. Keep up the good work, Sergeant."

The sergeant nodded before she stepped back. Lucian rolled up the window, and Elianna could hear the sergeant yell something at the soldiers before they opened the front gates. The carriage jerked slightly as they began moving again, riding past the front gates.

"Lieutenant Commander Maurus," Katarina chuckled. "I still have to get used to that."

Lucian nodded, his lips curving into a small smile, "It's definitely different without Hector around." He looked at Katarina, and his smile widened, "He's doing well, though. He sent a letter to the garrison the other day. He's enjoying adventuring and seeing the country with his son."

Katarina smiled warmly, "I'm glad. Hopefully, he will come and visit soon."

"We're almost there."

Katarina and Lucian looked toward Elianna, seeing her pressing her face and hands against the window. She was looking out intently with a wide, excited smile as condensation formed on the window from her breath.

Katarina chortled humorously, "Elianna." Elianna removed her face from the window and looked at her mother curiously. "Sit up straight, Sweetie."

Elianna nodded and sat up elegantly, as she had been taught. However, internally, she was wiggling with enthusiasm, ready to see the inside of the palace.

Looking out the window, Elianna could see the garrison in the distance. She thought that seeing the garrison from so far away was a little strange since she was so used to hanging around the area. She wondered what the knights were up to, but her thoughts were cut short when she felt as the carriage slowed to a halt. Footsteps sounded from outside the carriage, and a dwarf with short black hair and dark eyes, wearing a Tri-Union combat uniform with two gold disks on the collar, came into view.

The dwarf opened the door and stood to the side, standing at attention, saluting, "Good morning, Commander."

"Good morning, Sergeant," Lucian said, returning his salute. Lucian and the dwarf dropped their salutes, and Lucian exited the carriage first.

Katarina exited the carriage next, then turned around and offered her hand to her daughter, "Come on, Sweetie. Stay close to me."

Elianna took her mother's hand and hopped out of the carriage, landing on the white stoned path beneath her, her eyes widening at the spectacular view before her. The palace towered above Elianna and was made of beautiful white stone accented with gold trim. Although she thought the palace was a sight to see from a distance, from up close, it was like nothing she had ever seen. Her family's mansion didn't even come close to being as big as the palace.

Two rows of soldiers stood at attention in front of the palace, with three mages in the rear of the formation and two figures standing in the front, all facing the Vail's. The first figure standing in the front of the formation was Maurus, while the other standing beside him was a female with blue hair and yellow eyes who looked to be in her thirties. The two rows of soldiers were all dressed in Tri-Union combat uniforms; the mages were adorned in their opulent mage apparel, while Maurus and the female wore formal military attire. Maurus had three stars on his uniform collar, signifying his new rank as lieutenant commander. In contrast, the female had a single gold triangle on her collar, indicating she was a lieutenant.

Elianna's eyes darted around, mesmerized by her surroundings, but then her eyes flicked to her mother when she knelt beside her. Katarina smiled lovingly at her daughter as she smoothed out Elianna's blue dress and fixed her hair.

"Mom," Elianna lightly complained.

Katarina chuckled, "We have to make sure we look nice. It's not every day we come to the palace, after all."

Lucian looked at his wife and daughter and smiled, "Ready?"

Katarina returned his smile and nodded, "Ready."

Katarina stood up, smoothed out her black and blue dress, and stood beside Elianna, with Elianna's parents standing on either side of her. Lucian began to walk toward the formation of soldiers, with Elianna and Katarina walking in line with him. As they neared the soldiers, they all raised their arms to salute.

"Good morning, Commander!" Maurus shouted.

Lucian returned the salute, "Good morning." He dropped the salute, and the soldiers followed suit. Lucian looked at the soldiers in the formation and, in a commanding tone, yelled, "At ease!"

The soldiers immediately relaxed, separating their feet and placing their hands on the small of their backs. Elianna's eyes widened in awe at the discipline of the soldiers and seeing them following her father's command. She had seen him command soldiers before but was always amazed by his commanding presence and the respect the soldiers showed him.

Lucian approached Maurus, looking around, "Is everything ready for inspection?"

Maurus nodded, "It is, Commander."

"Good," Lucian said before he looked at the female lieutenant and smiled. "Hello, Kassandra."

Kassandra returned Lucian's smile, "Good morning, Commander." Kassandra's gaze flicked to Katarina, and her smile widened, "Hey, Kat."

"Hello, Kassy," Katarina greeted with a warm, friendly smile. "It's been a while. How has everything been?"

Kassandra shrugged, "It's been good. A lot more simple when you were in charge, though."

Katarina chuckled, "Yes, well, I hear you're doing a great job."

"Thanks," Kassandra said appreciatingly. Her gaze flicked to Elianna, and she smiled comically, seeing she was looking around with an amazed expression. Kassandra tilted her head slightly to the right, "And what might your name be?"

Katarina smiled and looked down at Elianna, who was still looking around, not paying attention. "Sweetie," Katarina said, and Elianna looked at her curiously. Katarina gestured to Kassandra, "Kassandra here asked what your name is."

Elianna looked at Kassandra, stood straight with elegance, and smiled, "Good morning. I am Elianna Vail, and I am nine years old."

Lucian, Katarina, Kassandra, and Maurus chuckled slightly, and even a few chuckles could be heard from the soldiers in formation, thinking how cute Elianna was.

Kassandra smiled and playfully gasped, "Nine years old? That's so big!" Kassandra reached her hand out, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elianna. I am Kassandra."

Elianna shook Kassandra's hand, saying, "Nice to meet you."

"Kassandra here is the commanding officer of the royal guard," Katarina pointed out as they broke the handshake.

Elianna's eyes widened in wonderment, remembering Eridas' words. "Wait, so you took my mom's spot!"

Kassandra's brows rose in surprise before she smiled and laughed, "Yes, I guess I did."

Katarina gestured to her daughter, "Elianna was hoping to get a small tour of the palace, so I was going to show her around."

Kassandra nodded, "That's perfectly fine. Everything has been secured for the council meeting as well."

"Speaking of," Lucian began, looking at Kassandra. "Are you ready to begin the inspection?"

Kassandra's smile faded, showing a more professional demeanor, "Yes, Commander."

Lucian nodded, "Good, then let's begin."

Kassandra nodded and turned around to face the soldiers in formation. "Royal guard! Break formation and return to your stations!"

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The soldiers in formation turned around and started to move toward the palace, a few of them speaking with each other.

Kassandra's eyes flicked around the soldiers, landing on two before she yelled, "Privates Golding and Pierce! Report!"

Two young soldiers, one male and one female, in their early twenties, the male with blonde hair and brown eyes and the female with black hair and crimson eyes, stopped dead in their tracks. They whirled around and dashed toward Kassandra, hearing the names she called. They quickly approached Kassandra and stood at attention in front of her.

"Golding reporting, Lieutenant," The male said.

"Pierce reporting, Lieutenant," The female said.

"Pierce, Golding," Kassandra began and gestured to Katarina and Elianna. "You're new here, so you probably don't recognize former Lieutenant Katarina Vail." Pierce and Golding looked at Katarina, their gazes thick with admiration. "Well, she is visiting today and will be showing her daughter Elianna around the palace. Your job is to stay close and ensure nothing happens to either of them. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" They both yelled in unison.

Katarina smiled, "We don't need protection. It's the palace, after all."

Lucian looked at Katarina, "Just have them with you. For my peace of mind."

"Plus, this way, the newer royal guard members won't think you snuck into the palace somehow," Kassandra pointed out.

"Okay," Katarina shrugged before pointing to the palace. "Shall we, then?"

Maurus nodded, "Follow me."

Maurus turned around and began walking toward the palace entrance. Lucian walked beside him while Kassandra walked behind them. Katarina and Elianna walked side by side behind Kassandra while Pierce and Golding walked behind them.

As they neared the palace entrance, Elianna's heart began to beat faster and excitedly in her chest. She stared at the large double-polished white doors, seeing how beautiful they looked with their golden intricate designs.

"Elianna," Katarina began and leaned close to her daughter. "I want you to stay close to me the entire time we're here. The palace is very large, and it's easy to get lost."

Elianna smiled and nodded at her mother, "Okay."

Elianna looked forward, and her smile faded, replaced with a look of wonderment, as they entered the palace. The entrance hall was enormous and elegant. White polished marble covered the floor, matching beautifully with the white walls lined with gold and having a golden intricate design. White crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, with the sun's light reflecting beautifully off them, emitting a rainbow color against the walls. The grand staircase was much larger than the one at Elianna's mansion, with three sets of stairs instead of two leading to the second floor. The base of the stairs was made of polished white wood, while the steps and support railing were made of gold.

Elianna's eyes darted around the room, stunned by its beauty, "Woah."

Katarina chuckled, seeing her daughter's expression, "This is just the beginning, Sweetie."

Lucian smiled at his wife and daughter, "Why don't you two go look around? I'll catch up with you later."

Katarina nodded and looked at Elianna, "Ready?" Elianna slowly nodded, looking around the room, still admiring its beauty. Katarina jerked her chin toward the entrance to the right hallway, "Come on, we'll start this way."

"Have fun," Lucian said with a wave as his wife and daughter walked off.

Katarina and Elianna walked through the entrance into the right hallway, with Pierce and Golding following close behind them. The hallway's flooring was made of polished brown wood, which went nicely with the white walls lined with gold. Paintings of different beautiful landscapes were hung on the walls between the large oval-shaped windows. The hallway itself was vast and long, so long that Elianna thought she could use it for her morning runs. Several brown wooden doors were built into the walls on the left side of the hall, each leading into different rooms.

"It's so large!" Elianna chirped and was immediately startled by her echo.

Katarina chuckled, "Large indeed. And this is just a hallway."

Elianna looked at her mother curiously, "Does the palace have a gym?"

"It does, as well as its own chapel, dining room, ballroom, theatre, and more." Katarina smirked at her daughter, "And the castle even has secret hallways."

Elianna's eyes widened in excitement, "It does?! I wanna see!"

Katarina smiled humorously, knowing that would pique her daughter's interest. She nodded, jerking her chin forward, "I'll show you once we go near this corner."

Elianna nodded excitedly and looked around at the paintings as they walked down the hallway. They approached the corner of the hallway, and Elianna expected to go around it but was surprised when Katarina stopped. Elianna looked at her mother curiously, watching her as she approached the blank corner of the wall.

Katarina placed her hand flat against the blank wall before she looked at her daughter with a grin, "Watch this."

Elianna's eyes grew wide in shock as Katarina pushed on the wall, and It swung open, revealing a small hidden door.

"Woah!" Elianna yelled in astonishment, quickly approaching the hidden entrance.

Elianna peeked inside, seeing the secret passage, which was much different from the hallway. The passage was considerably smaller than the hallway but big enough to walk around unhindered. The walls and the floor were painted a dark brown, and lumous stones were built into the wall, emitting light.

"Where does it go?" Elianna asked inquisitively.

"Everywhere," A voice said.

Elianna and Katarina looked toward the voice and saw a woman who looked to be in her sixties approaching them. She wore an elegant emerald green dress that had white gems embroidered on the chest area. Her gray hair was tied elegantly in the back, and she had a set of warm, loving brown eyes. Though, the most notable thing about her was the golden crown situated on top of her head. Walking behind her were five guards in Tri-Union combat uniforms and one mage in mage apparel, who stood protectively close to her.

Pierce and Golding stiffened at the sight of the woman and immediately bowed.

The woman smiled, gesturing to the secret passage, "The palace is full of secret passages that go everywhere in the palace." Her eyes flicked to Katarina, "Your mother knew them all by heart."

"And still do," Katarina said with a friendly smile and respectively curtised. "Good morning, Regent Raina."

Elianna's brows rose, remembering how her father told her the regent was in charge of Tri-Union City. Her eyes flicked to her mom, seeing her subtly gesturing to her to follow her lead.

Elianna elegantly curtsied, "Good morning, Regent Raina."

Raina chuckled and waved her hand, "There's no need for formalities. I had heard my former royal guard commanding officer was here, so I had to come and see her."

Katarina stood up and smiled, "I was planning to stop by later and say hi. If you were not busy, that is." Seeing her mother stand up, Elianna followed suit, smoothing out her dress.

"I'm never too busy to say hello to a friend," Raina said warmly. Her eyes flicked to Elianna, and her smile widened. "And you must be Elianna. I heard your mother is giving you a tour of the palace today."

Elianna smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Though, we may not see everything since the palace is so big."

Raina chuckled, "That it is." Looking back at Katarina curiously, Raina asked, "How much have you shown her?"

"We have just started."

Raina nodded, "I see. Well, I will let you get back to your tour. I'm going to go to the courtyard for some tea. Will you two join me later?"

Katarina smiled, "Of course."

"Splendid, I will see you later then," Raina said before looking at Elianna. "Enjoy your tour, Elianna."

Elianna smiled, "I will. Thank you!"

Raina gave one last nod before she turned and walked off, with her guards following her.

Katarina looked at Elianna and smiled, "Ready to continue?"

Looking back at her mother, Elianna nodded excitedly, "Yes."

And so they continued. Elianna followed her mother, her eyes wide with wonder and her chest warm and thrumming with excitement as they made their way through the palace. Each room was different but was vast and elegant. Even some downstairs bedrooms Katarina showed Elianna were significantly more prominent than hers. However, even with the elegance of the rooms, the one thing that Elianna found the most intriguing was the secret passageways her mother kept showing her, and she even took Elianna through a few.

When they entered the theater room, Elianna noticed it was large and luxurious. Several rows of brown leather recliner chairs sat together, facing a pedal stool where the illusionaire would be placed.

Next was the gym, which was much larger than the one at Elianna's family's mansion. Weightlifting supplies were situated on the far side of the room, with a running track on the right side of the room and a large pool on the left.

Then there was the ballroom. It was one of the largest rooms Elianna had ever seen. The floors were a beautiful shining brown wood, and white curtains hung on the enormous windows. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting a beautiful rainbow light across the room.

The dining room was similar to the one at Elianna's mansion but more prominent, with gold accents. The table itself was incredibly large, large enough to seat fifty people.

"And this," Katarina began as she pushed open the double brown doors, and they walked into another room, "Is the chapel."

Elianna stepped into the room, standing beside her mother at the entrance. She looked around the chapel in awe, amazed at its beauty.

A golden carpet with a sheen was laid out, running down the central aisle of the room. On either side of the carpet were rows of beautiful brown wooden benches. On the walls to Elianna's left and right were portraits of beings with glorious white feathered wings, covered in a golden hue, who flew in a white cloudy sky. At the end of the room was a white altar with a golden cross erected on top and four smaller golden crosses welded on each side of its grooves.

"This room is so pretty!" Elianna exclaimed.

Katarina smiled and nodded, "Raina has always been a devout worshiper of the divine. So she takes great care of this place."

Elianna looked at her mother curiously. "The divine?"

"They're higher beings," Katarina said and looked at her daughter. "They're beings of great power who watch over and protect us."

Elianna's eyes widened with wonder, "I wanna meet them!"

Katarina chuckled, "Only a few have ever met a divine being. And those who do are usually given divine tasks and rewarded with blessings should they succeed."

Elianna looked confused, "Blessings?"

Katarina nodded, "Yes. To be honest, I don't know much about blessings. However, I do know that divine blessings bestow great power upon people, allowing individuals to become nine stars or ninth circles."

Elianna's eyes widened, "Daddy is a nine star! Did he get a blessing?!"

Katarina's eyes fell briefly before she looked back at her daughter and smiled, "I'll let your father tell that story." She turned around, "For now, come on. I think we've kept Raina waiting long enough."

Elianna nodded and followed her mother out of the chapel, closing the doors behind them. They made their way through the palace, eventually reaching a set of white double doors accented in gold. Before Katarina could even touch the doors, Pierce and Golding quickened their paces, opening them and holding them open for Katarina and Elianna.

Katarina thanked both of them, and Elianna's mouth went agape, her eyes widening with awe as she stepped through the entrance.

They entered a vast and beautiful courtyard surrounded by the palace's buildings on all sides, indicating that it was in the center of the palace. Lush green grass covered the ground, with a light gray stone path spreading out in all directions throughout the courtyard. Large trees grew around the area, covering the courtyard in a comfortable shade. A pond was in the center of the courtyard, with a small white table beside it. Sitting at the table was Raina, who sat elegantly, reading a piece of paper in her right hand while sipping from the teacup in her left. Standing around Raina, a comfortable distance away, were her guards and maids, and on the far side of the courtyard was a mage looking around like a sentry.

Katarina began walking toward Raina, and Elianna followed. Hearing the sound of footsteps on the gray-stoned path, Raina looked up. She smiled warmly when her eyes fell on Katarina and Elianna.

Pierce and Golding went and stood beside the other guards as Katarina and Elianna approached the table.

Raina gestured to the empty chairs, offering Katarina and Elianna a seat, "How was the tour?"

Katarina pulled out a chair for Elianna and smiled at her daughter, "Did you have fun, Sweetie?"

Elianna nodded happily as she sat in her chair, and her mother pushed her closer to the table. "Yeah! I got to see so many rooms!"

Raina smiled, seeing how excited and cute Elianna was, "What was your favorite part?"

Elianna hummed before she said, "The secret passageways."

"Oh?" Raina said and looked at Katarina as she took her seat beside her. "Did you take her through any?"

Katarina nodded, "I did."

One of the maids approached the table, placed tea cups on the table in front of Katarina and Elianna, and filled both cups with tea. Katarina thanked the maid, who curtsied and backed away.

Katarina sipped her tea and hummed at the pleasant taste, "She even began trying to guess where the secret entrances were."

Raina chuckled, "Did she find any?"

Katarina nodded and smiled at her daughter, "She got one right."

Elianna looked up proudly, "Yes, I did."

Katarina and Raina chuckled, and Katarina gestured to the cup of tea in front of Elianna, "Try the tea, Sweetie. It's very good."

Elianna looked at the tea curiously before picking it up and taking a sip. Her brows raised in pleasant surprise, tasting how warm and good it was.

Raina smiled, seeing Elianna's pleasant expression. "So, Elianna." Elianna looked at Raina curiously. "Many whispers have reached my ears on the commander's prodigious daughter, and I must say I'm intrigued. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"Prodigious?" Elianna asked, sounding confused.

Katarina chuckled, "It means impressive. Go ahead, tell Raina a little about yourself."

Elianna smiled at the compliment before she nodded and began. She told Raina about her, her core status, and the element she chose. All the while, Raina smiled warmly, listening to the little girl before her who was remarkable in her eyes. Raina was amazed as Elianna's story unfolded from a child's eyes and how advanced her communication skills were.

As Elianna spoke, Katarina and Raina shared a friendly glance before looking back at Elianna. Raina had always been kind and trustworthy, a true friend, so Katarina felt completely comfortable with Elianna telling Raina about herself.

Once Elianna finished, Raina, Katarina, and Elianna continued to chat, enjoying their time and tea together as good friends.