Chapter 112: Summoned by The King (2/2)

'Well, they didn't say arrest.' Arthur nodded his head without saying anything and followed the group after bidding the vice-president, who had seen him out of the association, farewell. A guard opened the black SUV's door for Arthur and he boarded the car.

The drive to the palace was not long, as it wasn't that far from the association itself. A grand and majestic building it was, Arthur thought as he saw it getting closer.

Three high towers surrounded the main palace, but they weren't that much higher as the palace itself was shockingly grand. Its white and golden shingles glistered beautifully in the sunlight as statues of ancient gods served to give it a grandiose vibe. Lavish gardens could be seen from afar as several arbors beautifully filled them.

The SUVs, three of them exactly, stopped in front of the gate where some guards inspected the car and asked for documents. They were let inside but not from the front gate of the palace. They took a road that went around the palace and stopped in front of a smaller and more convenient entrance.

A butler was waiting for them and he bowed when Arthur and the captain walked to him. After asking them to follow him, the captain and Arthur left the rest of the guards and made their way through the palace.

The thing that grabbed Arthur's attention was the frescos on the walls of every corridor and hall they went through. Paintings of ancient monsters, beautiful maidens, and ancient trees made the whole place look magical.

Arthur was asked to wait in a room where even the wainscotings were adorned with golden engravings. As he sat there waiting for whatever that would happen, he felt a slight disgust at how much they have taken time to make the palace look luxurious.

The door opened and Arthur stood up thinking it was time for the butler to take him to meet the king. However, someone else has entered the room with who Arthur was familiar.

”Princess Nera.” Arthur felt she was like a ghost that would appear to him every time he went somewhere. She still wore the same clothing he had seen her in earlier, as did Arthur himself. There was no time to change, after all.

The princess, with her short height, walked over and stood in front of him. There was a mix of sadness, disappointment, and other unknown emotions on her face. After all, her brother has just betrayed the kingdom. When Arthur thought of this, he noticed her eyes were a bit red.

'Was she crying?' Arthur expected her to shout at him or interrogate him, but she did nothing of that sort. Instead, she bowed her head deeply to him.

”I'm sorry for what I did.” She said with her head facing downward. ”I didn't know your reasons, yet I interfered more than once foolishly. I just never thought,” She slightly paused and Arthur waited for her. ”That there would be traitors in our kingdom.”

”Please lift your head, princess.” Arthur sighed. Her thinking was naïve, but he was the same a while ago. He had a blind faith that people were good by default, but he learned otherwise the hard way. ”It's in the past. We need to focus on the present.”

The princess lifted her head and thanked him; her eyes again blurry as if she would cry. She excused herself and Arthur was left alone again until the butler came in, saying the king was ready to meet him.

His hands were slightly sweaty, as this was the first time that he would meet someone of such a high position. The king of a nation, how many ways would he have to get rid of Arthur?

'Calm down, you can always run away. Furthermore, he wouldn't do anything of that sort. You did well.'

Arthur calmed himself down as the butler opened a double door leading to a grand hall. It was almost fifty meters in length and almost thirty in width, with a single raised platform where a throne sat there prominently.

The throne and the entrance were connected by a red carpet that divided the hall in half. Each half had three tables where many people sat, a few feet apart from each other.

”Arthur Silvera is here, your majesty.” The butler declared as he stood on the side of the double door and dared not enter, a subtle message for Arthur to walk alone. The hall turned quiet as all eyes were focused on him.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur walked inside under the gazes of the most powerful people in the kingdom.