Aristia finally had the ti to properly take in the majestic building that was the main palace.
A wide staircase led up to the main entrance, flanked by towering columns and pillars adorned with golden filigree.
The entrance itself was a massive double door crafted from rich mahogany, intricately carved with scenes of royal triumphs and cultural motifs.
Upon entering the building, Aristia found herself in a grand foyer. Its marble floor was polished so well, it glead. It was adorned with a mosaic depicting the kingdom’s crest in the middle.
Aristia’s mouth hung open at the luxury and elegance of the place.
The walls were lined with tapestries woven in shimring threads of gold and silver, showing scenes of courtly life and heroic deeds from tis past.
As they moved deeper into the palace, Aristia was even more amazed at the spacious halls and grand corridors adorned with crystal chandeliers that cast a bright glow over the polished marble floors.
Tall windows took up half the walls, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding area around the palace, and allowing natural light to flood the rooms.
All in all, the palace was very large. They made many turns through different corridors before finally stopping in front of a room.
On getting inside the room, Aristia noticed it was a magnificent parlour.
This parlour was different from the one used to receive guests officially in the palace. This parlour was private, only used by Royal family mbers and only accessible to them.
Aristia noticed two more people seated side-by-side in the parlour.
There was a handso middle-aged man with grey hair and grey eyes, and a middle-aged woman with violet hair and black eyes. They had a regal air around them. Their identities were quite clear to Aristia from the features of Wilson and Fedor.
[Grandparents? They look way younger than I expected. lissa looks like she’s in her early forties and lvin looks like early fifties. Well, that’s to be expected since noble won marry at a young age.]
The appropriate age for marriage in this world was sixteen years of age currently.
"Here are my lovely grandchildren. Co, co, Tia, Allie. How much I have missed you," their grandmother, Queen Mother lissa Amberale spread her arms, gesturing for them to co closer for a hug.
Aristia and Alaric both went forward, embracing the woman who was their grandmother.
The stern looking man sitting beside Grandmother lissa stared at them for a while before breaking into a smile. "Have you forgotten about grandfather so easily? Where is my own hug?" lvin beckoned with his hands that they co closer. "Last ti I saw you, you were four years old, Tia, and Little Allie was just two years old."
[Take it easy, you say it like it’s been ages. Who’d believe that the last ti you saw Aristia should have been a month ago, on her birthday.] Aristia held back from rolling her eyes.
[Co to think of it, we have the sa birthdate.] She frowned.
But, regardless of her thoughts, she went over with Alaric to hug the man. lvin held them dearly in his arms.
Reluctantly letting them go as they took their seats, he turned to Wilson, "Son, I have told you a number of tis to co back to the palace. Why do you find it difficult to do so? You are the second Prince, are you not? Or are you afraid that you and your wife will not be able to spend ti together as much as you want?" lvin asked Wilson in an annoyed voice.
Wilson said nothing in reply. He knew that his father had guessed correctly.
He had nothing against his mother or his brother’s wife, and he had no qualms about his wife spending ti with either of them, but he was afraid that if he lived in the palace, Catherine would prefer spending more of her ti with his mother and his brother’s wife than she did with him.
However, that wasn’t the only reason.
lvin was aware of that too, but he couldn’t help but complain.
So, he still turned to Catherine, saying in a milder voice. "Dear, you do not have to fret about not spending ti together. I assure you that if you return to the palace, you will still get to spend ample ti together." He assured and Catherine nodded, blushing furiously while Wilson held her closer, smiling and chuckling softly.
[Ahem! There are children here. We didn’t ask to watch palace romance drama.]
They were so cheesy. This ti, Aristia openly rolled her eyes. But no one noticed, since they weren’t paying attention to her.
"I have asked little brother to return to the palace, but it seems he just does not want to." Fedor shook his head.
He wasn’t very serious. He and his wife usually had limited ti to spend together due to their kingly and queenly duties. Just like Wilson, he also didn’t want his beloved wife to have to share the limited ti she spent with him.
"How do you expect to hold and be with my other grandchildren? Look, I am able to spend ti with Van, Trixie and Rinnie, spending quality ti with my precious grandchildren, and look at you, keeping my other precious grandchildren away from by keeping a distance. Oh, my poor old heart! How am I expected to take this?" lissa dramatically held her chest, mimicking a brokenhearted expression.
"You can still co to visit us, just as we do. There isn’t much distance between the palace and the mansion, mother." Wilson reasoned.
lvin instantly hugged lissa and glared at his second son.
"Don’t speak! Just look at what you did to your mother, you brat, just because you always disagree with our request to allow our grandchildren stay with us," he blad Wilson.
lissa peeked smugly from her husband’s arms and glared at her second son too.
Wilson just stared at them with a speechless expression.
"...."
His father was scolding him in front of the children!
"I..." He didn’t know what to say. He shook his head with a helpless smile. Only his family could reduce him to this state. Anyone who heard their conversation would think that he was a bad man who did not want his parents to see his children.
[Tee-hee. I like this grandmother.]
Aristia was watching the show quietly, and a light chuckle unknowingly left her lips. Wilson heard it and turned to her. Was his naive daughter laughing at his misery?
Aristia ignored him and turned to lissa, patting the latter’s hand, "Grandma, don’t worry. You are not old. Don’t listen to Papa. That is just how boys behave sotis." She comforted.
She knew that the woman was pretending, but she liked her, so she decided to play along with her. In fact, she liked everyone in this family. Besides, lissa really wasn’t old.
[Geez. I have a really young grandmother. And a dramatic one at that.]
’Boys?’ the occupants of the room thought.
Realization dawned on Aristia.
[Oops! I totally forgot the era I’m in.] She had just unabashedly called her father a boy.
But the next second...
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