The carriage ride continued with so loud noises of the crowd still piercing through into the interior of it; the rumbling of other carriages behind them echoed.
"We didn’t have to be nice?" Fuko slumped back in her seat.
"ko," Jotou glared over.
"We’re sorry for her," Hotaru leered to Fuko, "behaviour," before smiling back to Feyan.
Feyan held his hand to his chest as he took a deep breath. He nodded to Hotaru silently, before wiping his face with a handkerchief he pulled out of his blazer pocket.
"We will be heading to Tamara Palace, the current residence of her majesty. Once we arrive, a grand tour is arranged for our honoured guests.
There will be fifty troupes to perform various shows and display many different traditional forms of song and dance, including the Dance of the Desert Veil, the premier play throughout Cravolta City.
The best cast has also been hired for said show. After the performances that will range in between five to six hours, there will be a celebration of wines to savour and taste.
After which, we will have a grand al. And then, we will et with the princess to converse," he said, all the while avoiding eye contact.
While he explained their activities, the four glanced at one another in slight concern. "Hm, that all sounds amazing!" Asobi replied.
"It does?" Feyan squeaked. He curled his fingers into his palms, staring to the floor wide-eyed.
"Uh, it does... but is there any way we could talk to the princess sooner?" Jotou turned to face Hotaru, "Because we..."
Hotaru purposefully spiked her ears up, "We have had quite the hectic schedule you see. We were ant to ander through Galuvit Town before coming over to Cravolta City.
Our plans were already thrown for a loop and we had to co after the Royal Guard stopped and asked us at Galuvit Station.
No need to waste such, probably pretty, very cultural performances, on us," Hotaru hesitated in her own words. "We just hope to be as efficient as possible in our visit.
We an no disrespect to her majesty of course, royal advisor?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow.
Feyan looked up, "Uhm, Lord Artevik—you may address as such. Or, if royal advisor is fine with you, that can be used as well."
Fuko side-eyed the royal advisor. His fingers had unfurled and he let out a breath of, relief? "Yes, your complications in Hartamat. I personally thank you for your endeavours heroes of Kria.
More will be discussed on the matter as well. There are many reports to be finalized and many matters that need tending to," Feyan shook his head.
"If you all wish to speak sooner to her majesty, that can be arranged. However, I must insist at least a proper al. Is there anything you would like to request to be on the nu?"
"Anything?" Fuko sat up, her lips curling.
"The princess," Jotou cut off with a smile, "Will we be able to speak to her at this al?" ’I get that you two want to experience new things, you specifically ca for this, but just this one thing, please you two!’
Feyan looked at Jotou, "I am afraid not Ms Howllett. You see, it is neither lunch nor dinner ti; your al would be honorary and the princess has her, uh, diet to keep..."
"I, see..." Jotou squinted. ’Daiyu had a diet for her tennis matches, but I think hell would sooner freeze over before she followed them...’
Feyan read Jotou’s face, "Uh, w-we! We are compensating for your efforts in Hartamat as well. Since the Hartamat Defence Force is already being paid extra for their efforts, we will personally be granting you three hundred armite."
All their eyes bubbled for a mont. Asobi’s legs shook vigorously onto the carriage floor as she held her wand in both hands.
She jumped up, "WE’RE RICH! CAN WE PLEASE BY A PET DUCK!? PRETTY PLEASE!?" the elf looked to Hotaru and Jotou.
"Sit down, you’re not getting a duck," Jotou put her hands up. "Though, that is a lot..."
"Yeah, there’s so much other stuff to get," Fuko grinned, rubbing her hands together.
"Ahem," Hotaru steadied, "That’s extrely generous. However, we’ve already been compensated in Hartam-OW!"
Fuko kicked the wolf-girl’s shin, "Don’t ruin this!"
The carriage ca to a halt. "Oh, we have arrived," Feyan silently sighed and rushed for the door handle. But then he halted himself, "Please," he held the door open once he had stepped out.
They had barely noticed the sound of cheers that had disappeared. Their curtains still shut, they were left to wonder what their surroundings looked like.
They stepped out one by one onto the brown bricks that made the path—each brick aligned perfectly without a single gap. They exited onto a large roundabout with a majestic fountain that spewed golden water in the centre.
Streetlights of bronze tal surrounded them, each with spherical bulbs. The early evening sky was not perturbed by trees or buildings—except one of course.
Sat atop a hill, the palace towered over them with hundreds of glistening windows—so with closed purple curtains, so open.
The massive cream-colored structure stretched as wide as the eye could see before it cornered off; shrubs and topiaries flanked the paths.
All four of them peered up, slack-jawed. Atop the spires of the many towers were lotus-like structures; the roofs themselves were shaped like unblood lotus petals.
Long corridors bridged throughout the structure and so people idly walking through them noticed the incoming guests—so Royal Guards, so workers and a few guests that did not fit either description... Perhaps they were other nobles?
"It’s beautiful..." Hotaru uttered.
"You think three hundred armite can get us this?" Fuko eyed it all.
"Probably not..."
"Are we’re sure we can’t get the tour at least?" Asobi gave the puppy eyes to Jotou.
"Listen, we," Jotou paused, swivelling around to see Feyan still waiting. "Uh, my apologies Lord Artevik. We need a little ti to talk amongst ourselves. Is there a, waiting room?"
"Oh, there is, but you are all to be under my supervision at all tis. We will be going to speak to the princess right now," he held his hands behind his back.
Butlers and maids made their way towards them as the rest of the carriages dropped off the Royal Guards before departing. "Just a mont to speak, right here, if possible?" Hotaru bargained.
"Uh, alright. But we must not keep her majesty waiting," he bowed his head a little before talking to the approaching staff. The four huddled close to the carriage.
"Detective? Anything?"
"I an, other than denying money and food?"
"ko, seriously," Jotou knitted her brows, "We can do all that later if we want, okay? Now don’t tell you didn’t think anything suspicious was going on?"
"Ugh yes, yes I did. Whenever we went off topic from speaking with the princess, he seed to relax."
"It was pretty obvious," Hotaru added.
"Given how defensive he was and how nervous he got, I guess there has to be sothing going on. Either that, or our beauty truly rendered him speechless," Fuko grinned.
"I doubt that second one..."
"Yeah, yeah," Fuko grumbled, "It’s almost like he was wanting us to decline all of that and make it our idea."
Jotou pondered, "If that’s the case, what’s the goal? Why even offer all that?"
"Royal procedures? Maybe they wanted to show off to us?" Asobi suggested.
"Maybe; but he accepted our request to speak with the princess sooner too quickly. I’m sure royal procedures don’t go that fast to change schedule that easily," Hotaru took a glance at the staff and the guards around.
"You’re right, he did. And he said we’ll be going to speak with the princess right now; before he spoke to any staff or anyone else. This was the plan all along to begin with; even the Royal Guards at Galuvit Station told us that," Fuko replied.
"If it’s Jotou’s friend, they have to be good too, right?" Asobi queried.
Jotou stared at the palace entrance—the wide open doors, the gates the carriages entered through behind her. Her ears tuned out the conversation...
’Daiyu... What’s going on? Are you in trouble? Is there so shady crap going on here too? Is it even, you...? It sounds too good to be true... I need to confirm it’s you... Please... Please let it be you...’
"Jotou? Jotou," Hotaru called.
"Jotou!" Fuko snapped her fingers in front of the blonde. Jotou shook her head out of thought.
"Are you okay?" Asobi tilted her head.
Jotou sighed, "Yeah... No, no I’m not." ’As if Hartamat wasn’t enough.’ "If this really is Daiyu; I just, I need this one thing to go right. So, I just want you to trust and let do the talking. If that’s alright?"
"Of course."
"Sure."
"Let’s go see your friend!"
The blonde’s eyes widened, then she smiled, "Thanks."
"We’re all done," Hotaru spoke as their carriage departed behind them. Feyan walked towards the four with three maids and a butler behind him.
Feyan took a mont, formulating what to say before wincing his eyes shut... He sighed, opened his eyes and stood up straight, "I will need you all to wear these blindfolds."
The four staff approached with black blindfolds in hand. "What?" Hotaru’s ears pricked.
"Ooo, is this like a royal party thing? Is there a surprise waiting for us!?" Asobi hopped.
"My apologies, but to go and et with the princess we must take you to a secluded room," Feyan relayed, trying to keep a straight face.
"Yeah, how about no?" Fuko glared.
Feyan held the bridge of his nose briefly, "I am sorry, I must insist if you wish to et with her."
’Is this a trap? Hmph... There’s no way they could know Daiyu’s na to bait in like that. I’ll keep my spells at the ready.’ "Let’s go then," Jotou walked forward to a maid holding the blindfold.
"Jotou?" Fuko grunted.
Jotou turned back, "If anything goes wrong, this is my fault. But I have to know." She then faced Feyan, "Is it okay if they don’t follow ?"
"No need," Hotaru went forward and stood next to the blonde.
"Aru-"
"I’m not letting you go alone."
"This is screaming trap," Fuko had enough, "And a pretty bad one at that."
"Exactly why I don’t think it is one," Jotou glared. ’And I suspect sothing else’s going on here...’ Feyan’s eyes widened as he looked at the ground for a second.
"Keep your spells at the ready," Jotou whispered subtly into the air.
Hotaru’s right ear twitched and she whispered, "Got it."
"Yay! Surprise! I can’t wait!" Asobi giddied forward.
Fuko crossed her arms and her eyes glazed over. "Can she at least stay behind?" Jotou faced him again.
"No-no-no-no," Fuko’s eyes bubbled. She imdiately paced forward to hold onto Jotou’s right arm, "Let’s," she sighed, struggling to spit it out, "Let’s go see the princess..."
What the brunette failed to say was, ’for your sake’, as she sided next to the blonde. "Fan...tastic. If you will," Feyan ordered the staff before placing a hand on his forehead.
Their heels clacked into the palace of marble floors, a fresh breath of light flowery scents invading their lungs.
They could hear staff going by left and right as they were led by the hand down the corridors and hallways. "There are stairs here, please be careful," Feyan spoke.
Slow in their pace, it took quite a few minutes to navigate. ’The air is really fresh, but also, high? I don’t know how to put it; but I feel like the ceilings are really high.
The sound is echoing a lot, so these halls must be mostly empty; maybe there’s so antics and statues? Old paintings? I can’t really tell... Palaces normally have those, right?
There’re long carpets here and there... We took, two rights, one left, then up so stairs- Or was it one right and two lefts? Or right, left, right? Dammit!’
They were walked through opening doors, until they heard the sa doors shut behind them. "Take them off," a polished voice spoke.
All four of their blindfolds were taken off at once to reveal a relatively small room. There was a long table, with four chairs on one end and two on the other.
Jotou peered across the room, where four Royal Guard with halberds stood around a person. There she sat with perfect posture—the Undying Princess staring right back with a frown at the blonde.
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