The soldiers were troubled, but at least, they knew what to do next. Would the King really be happy about the exiled old man coming back with strangers? They had no idea what gave him so much confidence, but they were willing to roll with it. It wasn’t their heads that were at risk here...
The little group began moving, the six soldiers staying close to surround all three of them. Tessa was sending glares each time her eyes met with one of the soldiers, or they inadvertently came too close. Cessilia was more absorbed in the architecture around them. Unlike the Dragon Empire’s Imperial Palace, this castle was mostly composed of large, gray stones and small spaces. The first corridor they walked through to get inside was surprisingly narrow to them, but it still had small little windows of tinted glass every three or four steps, which let plenty of light in. Unlike the white marble she was accustomed to, this castle had the same stones for walls and floors, and at times, a long jute rug would appear to cover the uneven stones. Everything in there felt foreign to the two young women, and they started walking close to each other without even noticing. Cessilia was surprised how little water fountains would sometimes appear randomly on a wall, or in a little sculpture in the middle of a crossway between corridors. The ceiling was lower than the high ones of their home, but it sometimes had strange openings, like a balcony, that would give a little view of a floor below or above.
At some point, they walked into a corridor that had the right wall half-open and showed a large, square room below. A handful of people were there, working at desks in what seemed to be a little library or study. It was very silent, and none of them even raised their heads as Yassim’s group walked above. It was obvious everyone was used to those little balconies, but it fascinated Cessilia. In her aunt’s palace, all the corridors were very wide and had arches so one could see the gardens on either side of it, and the rooms had a ceiling high enough that no man could reach... Here, it felt as if her father would have only had to raise his hand to touch it.
“I’m very sorry I wasn’t as honest as I had hoped to be with you, my lady,” suddenly said Yassim. “There are circumstances... I am grateful for your benevolence.”
Cessilia didn’t answer. She understood that Yassim only meant to apologize, but wasn’t asking for her forgiveness. It was too soon for her to judge. Instead, the young woman was a lot more curious about what was going to happen next.
Finally, the guards stopped in front of a pair of large, blue doors. Although they clearly led to an important room, they still looked small to the two young women, and Tessa frowned, wondering if two big, wooden panels were actually meant to protect anything... They could hear what was going on inside too. Some people were loudly shouting at each other, apparently trying to make a point. The soldiers hesitated for a little while, waiting until there was a bit less noise to bang on the doors and enter.
They hadn’t expected to see such a grand room after all they had seen so far. Yet, this was obviously the heart of the castle. A big, round room, with large windows of blue-colored glass, and an impressive mosaic under their feet. Their entrance caused everyone present to suddenly go quiet.
There were only nine beautifully sculpted, dark wooden chairs, arranged in a circle, and two of them were empty. Only seven people were seated, but each had a little group behind them, from two to as many as seven people. It was clear the people present were all some sort of nobility, or at least wealthy in some way. Tessa glanced over their wooden or silver jewelry, the colored fabric of their clothes, and the few fur capes. Yassim clearly hadn’t lied about the wealth difference. The two young women were like walking treasures compared to everyone else who was present. Aside from theirs, the only gold items in the room were a couple of rings, a necklace, and a bracelet, all worn by the same group of people.
Everyone was staring at them in awe as they walked into the center. Tessa wasn’t afraid to hold their gaze either. Their appearance was causing a commotion, and those people were already watching in amazement, glaring and whispering conspicuously. Because they were standing behind Yassim and four of the soldiers, they could only see more and more of the room as they walked farther in. Unlike her cousin, Cessilia was more absorbed in the architecture around them than the dozens of stares they were getting. This was the only room with a high, round, and vaulted ceiling, and the mosaic up there, similar to the one under their feet, was a breathtaking piece of art.
“How dare you come back?!”
The deep voice resonated throughout the room, sending a chill down everyone’s back.
Tessa and Cessilia stopped walking and glanced at each other. The King. They couldn’t see him because he was straight ahead, and their vision was blocked by the five men in between. Yet, even without seeing him, they could feel the weight of his presence in everyone else’s reaction. Cessilia glanced around them. Everyone in the room was tense, and suddenly looking down, as if they had been scared to make eye contact with the King, even by chance. Only the people seated were looking in their direction, their eyes going on either Yassim or the two girls, visibly worried.
But worried for whom...?
“Greetings, my King,” said Yassim, sounding strangely composed.
“You were banished,” hissed the King, his words as sharp as blades. “How dare you defy your King and come back?!”
“This humble servant didn’t disobey, my King. I merely followed your own orders.”
“Ha,” scoffed the King. “Then, who is it? Are you aware you brought a woman to be killed by my hands, Yassim? Do you think I’d indulge them for the sake of you?”
Tessa put a hand on her bag, where her blades were hidden, frowning. In any case, she was ready to defend her cousin and kill that King if necessary. She wasn’t scared of these people... However, as she glanced to her right, Cessilia’s expression didn’t seem to hold anything like fear either. Instead, she had her green eyes riveted right ahead, looking almost... expectant. Her cousin’s chest was rising up and down with her accelerated breathing, and her lips were slightly open. Tessa released her fingers on the bag, wondering what was going on...
“My King charged me with the heavy task of finding him a prospective wife. Your Highness, you said this old Counselor of yours was allowed to bring one, and, if she became Your Majesty’s Queen among all the possible candidates, you would spare my life and retract my banishment.”
“I didn’t think you’d dare try, you senile old man. So you’ve chosen death.”
“I believe I have chosen to try and remain by my master’s side, my King. Please, will you allow this senile old man to introduce his candidate?”
“This is inadmissible!” suddenly shouted one of the men seated. “How dare this traitor come back?! Your Majesty, you don’t have to listen to this decrepit traitor! The candidates have already been chosen! This–!”
The man suddenly went mute as he turned his head toward the King, and his eyes opened wide in fright. He immediately went back to looking down, visibly terrified.
They all heard a scoff.
“See, Yassim, no one wants you here. Did you think I was being kind to you because I gave you a reason to be allowed back? Fine, then. Let’s see who was insane enough to follow your lies all the way here...”
Yassim bowed slightly, and every soldier stepped aside, letting the two girls appear.
Only Cessilia stood forward, unafraid. She walked ahead, past all the men, and to the center of the room, facing the King. She was stunning in her own way, standing tall and facing the sovereign, unafraid. Her skin was lighter than anyone else in the room, and yet it was a warm, beautiful, brown-copper shade that contrasted with those amazing, green eyes. Not only that, but she wore a striking purple dress under a white fur coat, and all that gold...
All eyes turned to the King, waiting to see his reaction to the foreign woman.
It wasn’t anything like they expected.
Ashen the White was seated on the simplest throne in the room, although his was in silver metal, without any decoration, cushion, or embellishment of any kind. The King himself didn’t wear any jewelry, crown, or expensive fabric. He was even half-naked, the scars on his exposed torso visible to all. Yet, he was standing out more than anyone else in the room. His white hair, as white as snow, was falling in irregular waves on his large, muscular shoulders, a striking contrast to his dark skin. His face was sculpted with thick lines and a square jaw with a few spikes of a growing beard sticking out. Despite him looking no older than thirty, there was something scarily deep and ancient in his dark eyes. The dark circles beneath them made it even worse, burying his irises deeper in the shadows. He didn’t seem human, or like he was the same kind as the other people standing in the room. He exuded an aura of death and danger like a resting predator. The silver chair may as well have been a god’s throne... a god of death. Anyone with any experience in battles could tell he was a warrior and a merciless killer. The way all the other people in the room physically reacted to his presence reeked of sheer terror.
Cessilia was the only one not to display an ounce of fear.
Instead, as she appeared before him, the King’s previous irritated expression fell. An incredible silence befell the room as if they had all been transported to a sacred place. In fact, they were witnessing an epic scene, a living painting. There seemed to be no one else but those two people, and all the others were quiet witnesses. No one could understand what was happening, but it felt breathtaking. The complex emotion on the cold-blooded King’s face, and the Princess’ pure, candid gaze she held without fear.
Even Yassim was shocked by what he was seeing. Before any of them had realized, the King was standing, his eyes riveted on the young woman as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was something happening between those two people, something deep, complex, and... personal.
“Y-Your Highness,” mumbled Yassim, “this is Princess Cessilia, daughter of the Dragon Empire, niece of Her Highness the Empress.”
The King didn’t reply. In fact, it was as if he hadn’t heard the old man at all. His eyes were still riveted on Cessilia as if he was seeing a ghost, or a monster.
The Princess was the first to react. Very slowly and gracefully, she bowed, her long hair sliding down her shoulders as she lowered her head to him.
“K-King... Ashen,” she simply said in a delicate voice.
That was it, yet those words looked as if she had slapped the King. In utter shock, his subjects saw him take a step back. Something felt wrong about all of this, something no one else could understand. However, the King didn’t reply to the Dragon Empire’s Princess. He clenched his fists, and instead, directed his furious glare toward Yassim.
“You cunning old snake...” he hissed, looking like he was about to murder the elder.
Everyone in the room was trying to make sense of this situation. Was the King sparing the Princess because of the Dragon Empire? Why was that young woman completely unafraid? How was old Yassim even still alive after daring to do such a thing? More importantly, what was that reaction earlier...?
