Chapter 87: It has begun

Chapter 87: It has begun The city of Vitalis was breathtaking, with beautiful buildings and very busy streets, but Abrielle was too tense to care about that. After the knight seemed to be done talking to Cedric and Alfonso in the front. They signalled for the bridge to be drawn down. "It seems we are taking a detour to the King’s court," Evelyn mentioned, also studying what was going on from her window. The carriage started to move again; they crossed the magnificent Lady Canyon Bridge, which was a popular tourist attraction in Vitalis. "I guess he was missing his sons," Abrielle scoffed. A couple of minutes later, they arrived at the palace, which was located in a more private area on the island surrounded by a small forest. The gates opened and the rest of the entourage changed their routes except for Cedric, Alfonso and Abrielle’s carriage. The palace of Darconia was massive and filled with so many castles which were not close to each other. The best way to describe the palace was a luxurious estate filled with magnificent castles. From a distance, Abrielle could spot one of the busiest and most grand buildings. It was the closest to the gates after a 20-minute carriage ride. "We have arrived," Evelyn judiciously informed the princess as they stopped in front of the Grand Crescent Palace dedicated to the king. They came In through the grand gates that led to a massive courtyard, filled with luxurious trees and plants. Despite it being winter, some flowers were still in bloom, which made the courtyard warm. It was the wintermoore flowers Indigenous to Darconia that bloom in winter. The carriage stopped at the grande entrance and Evelyn alighted first to help Abrielle get down. Not far from the princess, Cedric stood at the entrance waiting for her. At least, he was considerate of the fact they were meant to go in together. Alfonso had already left earlier; Abrielle took a while to admire the beautiful castle made from pure white stone with a mix of precious stones; when covered by the winter frost, it sparkled under the dim sunlight. It was magnificent, that was what she would describe the exterior as. Evelyn assisted Abrielle upstairs and stopped by Cedric’s side. She bowed subtly, "Good luck, your Highness." Cedric glanced over to Evelyn. "I don’t need it." As confident as ever. It made Abrielle scoff inwards at how he would react once the male lead defeated him. Cedric held Abrielle’s hand with his large, warm ones; she subconsciously missed the feeling of him holding her like this. It was a short, fleeting feeling she quickly pushed aside; why would she like anything about him? She must have gone nuts. "You are trembling," Cedric mentioned feeling her small hand tremble in his hold. Abrielle was stunned because she didn’t expect she would be so nervous that she would outwardly tremble. "I guess I am a bit nervous," she muttered; Cedric gave her a fleeting glance, "there’s no need to be nervous; the king isn’t as crazy as I am," Cedric said, making Abrielle’s jaw drop. He knew he was screwed up there. "Fine I am ready," she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The doors were pushed open and they walked into the warm castle. Inside, the halls were wide and glowing with light from crystal chandeliers. The ceilings were high, painted with exotic images that made it dreamy, while soft rugs and cool marble covered the floors. Paintings of battles and romances lined the walls, which told the history and struggle of Darconia, and a grand staircase curved upward, its bannister gilded with gold. The decorations were mostly done with gold and precious stones; Darconia was a very prosperous kingdom rich in gold and riches and the strongest Kingdom in military might on the continent that others always feared a day they would decide to expand to an empire. The air smelled faintly of roses, and it felt magical. Abrielle held Cedric’s hand as he led her through these complex halls. She didn’t know much about the palace except for a faint idea she had from the novel, but this was the first time Abrielle had been here. It was so luxurious that looking at it made her feel that all the other mansions and Castles they had come across were complete trash. They arrived at the doors, which Abrielle guessed led to the King’s private study. For a fleeting moment, she felt Cedric stiffened. "Good morning, your Highnesses, the first prince of Darconia and his Bride, Princess Abrielle," the knights simultaneously greeted them with a bow before opening the door. The study looked like a mini Library with several shelves lined around, a lounge area and then a desk. From the door, Abrielle could hear the sound of joyful chatter; one she recognized as Alfonso, and the other was an older voice. Cedric took her through the line of shelves till they got to the source of the chatter. "Good morning, your majesty. May you live long." Cedric greeted with a slight bow, the first time he bowed or showed respect to anyone. Behind the desk was a man that can be described as aged with grace, the king was exactly how the author envisioned. He was in his early forties, he had a gorgeous facial structure and a good body, sharp gold eyes and Golden blonde hair with some grey strands representing his wisdom. Despite his age, King Kaiden Von Drakkar was described to be handsome. His genes influenced all his descendants. Kaiden glanced away from Alfonso to look at his eldest son Cedric, "I see you have arrived; how was the journey?" He asked. From the mood between them, it was obvious the king and Cedric’s relationship was strained. "It was a difficult journey," Cedric replied. Then the King’s sharp eyes, as intimidating as Cedric’s eyes, met Abrielle. "Good morning, your Majesty. May your light continue to shine above Darconia." Abrielle courtseyed with respect. Kaiden had a soft smile on his face which he didn’t have for Cedric. "You must be the daughter of Pierre; welcome to the family, Abrielle," Kaiden said with a welcoming voice. At least one person in this family doesn’t hate Abrielle. "Thank you, majesty," Abrielle answered, visibly relaxing. "I hope your marriage with my son heeds a lot of children and joy." Kaiden blessed them, which Abrielle knew wouldn’t happen, but she still smiled sweetly at the king. It sparkled with her eyes. "Thank you, your majesty." She extended her gratitude. "Is brother yet to arrive?" Cedric asked with a flat tone. He had an obvious dislike for the person, and Abrielle knew who. "I didn’t know Big Brother among everyone will miss me. I feel honoured, "A magnetic voice said from behind Abrielle. Before she even glanced behind to see who it was although she had a good idea. A blue screen appeared in front of her. CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT ALIVE TO THE OFFICIAL START OF THE DRAGONS AND THE PRIESTESS.