Chapter 4 (2/2)
Once Elric mounted his horse, the knights prepared to lead the travelers and princess. The knights encircled the group and started the slow march back towards the palace.
In due time, they crossed under the triumphal arch and through the palace gates. They were now at the very heart of the Sovereign Kingdom; the imperial palace was now in sight.
They dismounted in the outer courtyards of the palace and walked up the white-marble staircases. Situated at both sides of the palace front, two giant bronze horses could be seen. Forty-eight marble pillars held up the front of the palace with reliefs carved into every single one of them; many of them depicting the many glorious victories of the kingdom. At the roof of each pillar were several golden leafs to depict the nature of heaven on them, and at the twelve central pillars had the marks of the twelve major G.o.ds they wors.h.i.+pped.
From within the palace came the sounds of discussion at a low, but deep level. Already did the knights retreat from here, resulting in the princess and the group being escorted by the palace maids into one of the side chambers of the palace.
They pa.s.sed through a corridor with eight large windows along the way. With nothing but air in the windows, sunlight pa.s.sed through them and splashed across the ground with a warm glow. Soon, the party entered a small room where several couches spanned across the walls with a fox-skinned serge and camel-fur cus.h.i.+on pads all around.
Travel-weary, Elric collapsed onto a nearby sofa. Comforted by the fox-skin and the camel-fur pads, Elric swore he never felt such bliss before.
“Wow… this is comfortable. The most comfortable I've ever felt, actually.”
“So this is what it feels like to be royalty.”
Based on the reactions of Jerry and Belladonna, Elric figured it was their first time receiving such reception before as well. Kite, on the other hand, came from higher stock and was seemingly used to it, judging how he simply sat upright on the sofas as if it were natural.
But for Elric, this was a sort of bliss he'd never experienced before.
Some time pa.s.sed by before four maids entered the room. Each one pushed a silver cart with all sorts of refreshments served on platters and a silver pitcher with an unknown beverage in it.
Swiftly and gently, one of the maids pushed her serving cart right in front of Elric.
He had never seen such hospitality before.
“Do feel free to partake in anything you like.”
The princess smiled.
He wasn't sure of how nice of a spread this was for royalty, but Elric had never seen such a beautiful arrangement. Coming from a small village, he definitely never even seen any of the delicacies being offered to him, let alone taste. Had he his own way, Elric would've opted to take everything, but that'd be rude. Looking back and forth from delicacy to delicacy, he finally decided to take the platter with a decadent-looking sponge cake.
Eagerly, he broke a piece off from it and took it into his mouth where it dissolved into a sugary mush for him to swallow.
Only when he finished off the sponge cake did a sapphire-blue-robed guardsman come striding into the room with an order from the king.
Everyone stood up at his arrival, though Elric felt reluctant to part with the sofa.
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