“Wait, Liane! What do you mean I’m causing trouble?” I said, rushing down the stairs.
Reaching the foyer below, I stopped, noticing Hari and Jen both wearing the red suit that I had been provided. Milo was wearing a very formal-looking brown-and-white robe that I had never seen before today. Liane was wearing a mostly dark outfit, but there was still the symbol of the phoenix on it.
As I got closer, I heard Jen asking Liane what was so funny, when Hari caught my jacket first.
“Ah. I see now,” Hari said with a chuckle, making Milo and Jen turn from Liane to me.
Milo just put his face in his hands, shaking his head, while Jen was clearly hiding a smile behind her hand as well.
“Someone want to tell me what’s going on? I feel like I’m missing something here,” I said, looking at the four of them. Even Liam was staring at me from behind them.
Milo began, “It’s customary when visiting any royal family member—but especially the King—that you wear the symbol of the kingdom you’re representing. You’ve gone with a very… unique option.”
“Where and when did you even get that? It looks really well made,” Jen asked through giggles.
I was feeling defensive; I really liked the jacket. “I got help from a tailor called Toby, who helped me make it, and I think Crisplet and Lily better represent me than Alira.”
Liam spoke for the first time. “You had the royal tailor make you a jacket?”
This was too much for Jen now, joining Liane in the laughter.
Hari just let out a sigh. “Trev, only you see the phoenix symbol as Alira. Everyone in the capital—no, the kingdom. Just see it as a symbol of the royal family. The only people who generally don’t have it on them are the envoys of other nations from across the seas.”
“Should I go back and change then? I wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” I said.
Milo shook his head. “I’d normally say yes, but let’s see how this goes.”
Liam straightened up. “If you’d follow me then, the carriage is waiting.”
Turning around, I saw Lily sitting behind me, with Crisplet next to her. I had forgotten to grab the brazier, but it should be fine.
Looking up, I saw Micca leaning over the railing above, and after giving her a wave, I went outside to see the same carriage we had been dropped off in.
“Lily, you may need to hide in the shadows till we arrive. It’ll be a tight squeeze otherwise,” I said to her.
A moment later, after we had all climbed into the carriage, it began to move.
Liam did a small cough, getting everyone’s attention. “Am I to understand that this is everyone’s first formal dinner?”
Hari and Milo shook their heads, while Jen, Liane, Crisplet and I nodded.
“Right. Well, for those who don’t know, there are some small etiquette matters to address. When we enter the hall, Trevor will need to be first as he is the guest of honour, and I believe the King will dictate where he is to be seated. Lily and Crisplet might not be able to enter the main hall—” Liam started, but I interrupted him.
“They stay with me,” I said firmly.
“It’s not my choice, unfortunately, but they don’t allow beasts into the grand hall,” Liam started.
I immediately felt a flash of anger. “They are not beasts. They are my companions, and if they are not allowed in, then the King can come out and speak to me outside the grand hall.”
I looked to Liane and Jen for backup, but it was Hari who spoke up. “He’s right. They are with us, and we all go in together or not at all.”
Liam looked fairly nervous at this, but didn’t protest it any further, instead carrying on.
“Well, once you enter the main hall and take your seats, the other guests of the evening will be allowed entry,” Liam said.
“What other guests?” I asked, confused, not realising this would be a large affair.
“I believe this will be a small affair, and only the King’s advisers along with a select few heads of houses will be in attendance tonight,” Liam said thoughtfully.
This didn’t make me feel any better about all of this. The only thing more concerning to me than the King making a request was a group of scheming nobles making requests. I really didn’t trust any of them at this point.
“After dinner, the King may ask for a private discussion, but that I couldn’t say for sure,” Liam said, and clearly the look I sent to Hari said it all.
“We will probably decline any private discussion that doesn’t include the rest of us. Unfortunately, Liam, we’ve not had the best run-in with people of power so far,” Hari said.
It looked like Liam was about to protest, but he seemed to think better of it at the last minute. “I understand. Then finally, at the end of the evening, as per my oath, I will escort you out and to your house safely.”
“Thank you, Liam,” I said, finally looking outside the window of the carriage.
We were moving through some of the most immaculate gardens I had ever seen. I activated Arcane Foraging just out of curiosity, and even when I tuned out all common and uncommon items, I was still shocked at the sheer number of rare items in the garden.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Notifications:
You have 2 available Evolution Quests
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Congratulations! Your Arcane Foraging skill has 2 available Evolution Quests:
- Discover 3 unique carcasses using Arcane Foraging: 0/3
- Discover a land of abundance, view 20 or above rare items at one time: 0/20
I was a little shocked at seeing that pop up, but I said nothing since Liam was in the carriage. I attempted to look out of the opposite side of the window, but despite there being some rare items there, it didn’t register. There also wasn’t twenty.
The carriage soon came to a halt in front of the largest and grandest-looking building I had ever seen in my life. It was one thing to see it from afar like I had, but now—looking out the carriage window, seeing it before me.
The stone walls climbed high, leading to several towers that pierced the sky itself, it felt like, while the building itself looked so incredibly tall.
Breath-taking.
Liam opened the door, stepping out first, then we broke etiquette immediately as Crisplet was next to head out.
I followed closely, and once everyone had exited the carriage, I noticed Lily had used the shadows inside the carriage to exit it as well, which put all the surrounding guards on edge with the two closest even moving their hands to their weapons. They didn’t pull them out, however.
A moment later, an older man exited through two large ornate doors, which looked to be hand-carved with the same symbol of Alira across the two doors.
He halted in his steps as his eyes locked on Lily and Crisplet, before taking a deep breath and making his way down the rest.
“Greetings, honoured guests. My name is Boyd. I’ll be at your service while you’re in the palace this evening. I’m here to escort you all to the grand hall. Do you nee—” He started, but a subtle head shake from Liam stopped him.
“Very well. Please follow me,” Boyd said, leading the way up the stairs.
First, we made our way through the inner courtyard where, again, there looked to be the most stunning flower garden, it was perfectly kept with roses of all different colours, along with other flowers I had never seen before in my life, most looking to be in full bloom, which was very surprising at this time of the year I felt.
Walking quickly through, I couldn’t help but notice that many of the guards were startled by the presence of Lily and Crisplet.
Approaching two more large doors, we made our way into the vestibule, before it opened up into an incredible-looking grand hall, A giant chandelier dominated the ceiling, but I couldn’t help but stare at the enormous artwork that adorned the wall—one wall with portraits of what I had to assume were past rulers, since the King’s portrait was there as well. Or maybe it was family?
The opposite side, however, had a single mural showing Alira in the sky above a small silhouette of a man, with a single feather between them. A feather that appeared to have many colours, like my own.
Soon, several guards came through a set of double doors on the left-hand side before stopping once they took in our group, taking up a guard position at the doors.
Boyd spoke up again. “If you’d kindly wait here just a moment, I shall announce your arrival. Please feel free to take a seat.”
He then left the room, heading through the doors on the right.
Moments later, another man walked into the room, this one looking richly dressed and seemingly familiar. I recognised him as one of the four who came to see us outside the city—Gerald, if I remembered correctly.
“Welcome to the royal palace. We have met briefly before, but my name is Gerald, adviser to the King,” he said, as Hari, Milo, Jen and Liam all bowed slightly.
I couldn’t help but notice the look I got when I didn’t follow, and it wasn’t even out of any sort of defiance, as I’m sure Liane’s was. I just didn’t know when to bow or not, and by the time I realised it, it was too late.
“If you’d follow me, I will lead you to the dining hall. They will need to remain out here,” Gerald said, pointing to Crisplet and Lily.
“No,” I said simply.
The look I got appeared as if I had slapped him, but this was something I would not budge on. Mind you, I doubted Lily would have left my side here even if I had asked. Crisplet certainly wouldn’t.
“They will go where I go. They are my companions,” I said.
Gerald had an angry look. “That’s not possible. There are to be no beasts in the dining hall, It's the rules.”
Immediately, the pressure came down. Even I could feel it a little, with the two guards by the door struggling to stand, and even my own party doing their best to stay upright.
Gerald, however, did not have the same fortitude, and immediately dropped to his knees, terror in his eyes.
Just a few seconds later, several doors burst open. At the top of the stairs, four guards came bursting through and faltered in their steps as the true weight of the pressure hit them, and from the hall that Gerald came from, two familiar figures came out along with several other guards.
The King and his daughter. Instantly, his daughter dropped to a knee before forcing herself back up under strain, while the King himself seemed to handle it the best.
“What is going on?” the King’s voice boomed out.
Gerald attempted to speak. “Thi… this beas—”
He did not finish his sentence before the pressure got stronger, causing even my own party to drop to a knee along with everyone else in the room besides myself and the King.
Gerald at this stage had fully collapsed on the floor, unconscious, I hoped.
“Lily, that’s enough,” I said softly.
She turned to look at me, and I briefly felt the weight of that gaze before it subsided. It felt like my very soul was squeezed.
“I apologise, Your Majesty. Gerald insulted Lily by calling Crisplet and her a beast,” I said, bowing slightly.
Noticing the look of concern on Hari, Jen and Milo’s faces, there was an unmistakable smirk on Liane’s.
I wasn’t even trying to be difficult or antagonistic intentionally here. I didn’t want to be driven out of the city straight away.
Everyone was rising to their feet at this stage, with only Gerald still on the floor.
“Idiot. I warned him. Boyd!” the King called, as the butler from earlier appeared a moment later.
“Please escort Gerald to a guest room. Have the guards help you carry him there, and please have a healer visit him,” he said.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Boyd bowed deeply and then ran ahead, getting the help of two guards to lift Gerald and escort him away.
I even heard the King muttering "Stubborn old fool." as he approached.
The King, now with a smile on his face.
“Well, that’s a fun way to start the evening,” he laughed.
“I apologise for Gerald. He’s usually a very smart man, but he’s stuck in his ways, you see—everything by the book,” he said to me, before turning to Lily and Crisplet.
“Thank you for not killing him, and I apologise on his behalf. You’re both more than welcome to enter the dining hall with Trevor. Now, what do you say we get back on track? Trevor, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I will lead you to the dining hall. I feel we have much to discuss this evening,” he said.
Now turning around and leading back the way he came, with Kathrine opening the doors for her father and the group.