Though it wasn’t the first day of their journey through the Central land, travelers from the West still hadn’t gotten used to the surroundings. The vast fields and orchards radiated abundance no matter what crop or tree was planted in them. The farmers and workers at the inns were all dressed neatly, and there was no sight of crimes or even quarrels. All this contrasted so much with the land the delegation left behind that it seemed impossible that these two realms shared the same border. Dietrich couldn’t help but wonder: did the prosperous land have such an effect on its inhabitants, or was it the other way around? Could it be the result of long residence in a single territory, or could it be the result of wise scholars’ guidance?
A wise and just guidance... Once again, he was reminded of an outrageous matter.
“It would be enough to leave this task to the general and wait patiently at home,” the young knight glanced at the carriage. It was supposed to be Her Highness’ vehicle, but instead it was occupied by General Rodrigo. The thought of such treatment infuriated the young man, even if the girl he swore to protect and cherish seemed not to care about such mistreatment at all. She was riding a dapple-gray mare right alongside the guards and looking around the passing lands.
“Isn’t the journey tiring?” as to confirm his own words, Dietrich yawned and hastily covered his mouth. They left the inn before sunrise - partly in anticipation of reaching the Tower, partly to avoid riding under the midday sun.
“No, not at all,” the girl smiled. “If anything, it’s thrilling to go so far away. And you know better than anyone that I couldn’t just stay and wait when the fate of our kingdom is at stake.”
Dietrich sighed. Accustomed to her stubbornness as he was, he still felt some things had to be fixed. He just hoped it would get better when she got older and started acting more mature. For starters, etiquette required young women to travel by coach, wearing elegant dresses and taking cover from the sun. Even though it was early autumn, the star's light was still rather aggressive. Five days of journey were enough for the princess' warm beige skin to turn tan and for a few freckles to appear on her aquiline nose.
Wearing a blue jacket and buckskin breeches, with a tanned appearance, she now looked more like a royal courier than an actual member of the royal family. Such negligence was more expected from soldiers and servants, yet still most of them tried to cover their fair skin with loose clothes as much as possible. Dietrich was aware of his tendency to get sunburn easily and used an expensive sunscreen lotion. He had the utmost faith in Castro's renowned pharmaceutical industry and was determined to look his best when they finally reached their destination. The appearance of a boiled crayfish was certainly not the first impression he intended to make.
“Nothing will change regardless of who will be present during the Draw. Even if the king himself came, the result would be the same.”
“I know that I’m not a kid. But we had to endure a double term in the Western territory. Even if it’s only a minute earlier, I want to know where we will be finally moving to.”
The knight didn’t reply, finding it hard to argue with her short yet emotional speech. Double term, twelve whole years of life in the harshest among all lands. He was already nine when the fateful Draw happened, and they moved to the West. But the princess was only four years old and could hardly remember living in lavishing surroundings. Finally, after all those years of ascetic life, she would be able to relax and enjoy proper royal treatment. Dietrich glanced at the girl’s short golden hair, barely reaching her shoulders.
“Yes, I suppose every person in the Castro kingdom feels the same. Ah, we can already see the Navigation Tower, Your Highness.”
“Already?” the girl blinked. “But aren’t we supposed to arrive only in three hours?”
She narrowed her eyes, trying to find the Tower on the horizon. And then she gasped when her efforts were rewarded. The dark silhouette against the clear dawn sky and the tiny houses around it reminded her of a mythical giant creature guarding its hard-earned treasures. Unlike capitals, this city didn’t have walls that indicated borders and could defend it. Looking from such a distance, it was hard to tell the actual size of the city, but there was no doubt it exceeded any other settlement in all lands.
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“How tremendous must it be for us to be able to spot it from here?”
Dietrich grinned. At times like this, the princess behaved like a child, and he couldn’t help but enjoy seeing this side of her.
“Wait till we actually reach it; it will just blow your mind…”
“Let’s reach it faster then!”
“Your Highness! Wait!”
But she had already galloped past their escort. Most of the guards, accustomed to the princess’s behavior, didn’t even blink, but the servants were baffled. Dietrich was torn between the desire to spur his horse on as well and the need to calm people down. In the end, he followed her, giving a few commands to his squires.
Fortunately, the princess wasn’t reckless enough to sweat a horse just to appease her own curiosity. After creating some distance from the delegation, she slowed to a trot. The princess didn’t make any attempts to run away completely, yet the only one who rode beside her now was Dietrich. They continued the rest of the journey this way. With every step that shortened the distance between travelers and their goal, the chattering mood was transforming into quiet awe.
They entered the city, which turned out to be full of low-rise houses - something hard to imagine in the populous Castro’s capital, where any available piece of land was priceless. Some were built in a specific manner, telling the story behind its owners. A house surrounded by a stony fence with a sloping roof and curved corners belonged to a Kean merchant. The residence of a Kushane scholar had white walls facing the street, and the entrance’s entresol was finely decorated with arabesques.
But many houses were built in a simple, faceless manner, resembling rectangular boxes with windows. The only difference was the choice of the wall’s color and the scale of planted greenery in the yards. Despite the early hour, the main street was filled with people hurrying to their workplaces, schools, or markets. Most of them ignored the arriving horsemen, but a few vendors didn’t miss the opportunity to offer their goods.
Finally, the Navigation Tower rose before the Castro’s delegates like a pillar piercing the heavens. The girl took a long, serious look at the Tower from its sturdy base strengthened with flying buttresses to its barely visible beveled peak.
“The Tower makes you feel so small and insignificantly miserable, like a mere ant. I wonder if this is how it’s supposed to be, is this the reason it was constructed so?”
Puzzled by her sudden remark, Dietrich decided to change the topic.
“Her Holiness will be welcoming us at the banquet this evening. It’s better to hurry and get ready.”
He nodded at the sight of a welcoming convoy slowly approaching the delegation. Dozens of simple servants to assist with accommodation were led by several scholars in white vestments. The princess dismounted her mare. One of the servants instantly took the horse away. As if taking this for a signal to action, a middle-aged scholar stepped forward.
The man’s brown skin and black hair contrasted with his pristine white vestment. When he folded his hands in greeting, golden ornaments on both sleeves united to form a complete picture.
“Greetings. My name is Giansh, I shall serve you as your humble guide.”
The girl returned his greeting gesture.
“Much obliged, esteemed Giansh. I’m Princess Cornelia Castro, part of the Castro delegation from the West territory, led by General Rodrigo. The general with the rest of our delegation will arrive in a few minutes. We are looking forward to our stay in the Navigation Tower and will be in your care now.”
“I shall assure you, Your Highness, we will try our utmost to cater to your needs. Please allow my brother to show you to the allotted rooms, as I shall wait and welcome General Rodrigo and the rest of the Castro delegation.”
One of the scholars stepped forward and bowed deeply. It wouldn’t be strange for the welcoming convoy to regard the princess as a person of a higher status, so sending her with a mere scholar irritated Dietrich. But the princess didn’t mind, so he silently glared, without sharing his opinion about this insolent situation.
“You have my thanks, esteemed Giansh. Please tell the general, I will meet him after a short rest,” asked Cornelia.
After finishing with formalities, the princess and the knight followed their guide inside the Tower. On the sixth day, the journey was finally over. And with the Draw event just around the corner, the long-awaited respite was much welcomed by every member of the delegation, including the most restless one.