Alexander’s back had long since straightened, but here, he carried himself differently. His chest puffed out slightly, his deanour taking on the air of a true noble prince.
The guards moved ahead of them, taking the lead, not out of necessity, but out of respect. Every person they passed reacted the sa way.
They bowed deeply, reverent looks on their faces.
"Your Highness."
"Your Majesty."
"Prince Alexander..."
The titles followed one after another, but Alexander didn’t acknowledge a single one.
He walked forward calmly, maintaining the image expected of him, as if their reverence was nothing more than background noise.
Elion watched it all with mild interest. He didn’t bother adjusting his posture or trying to match the sa noble composure.
Instead, he kept his expression neutral, attempting to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
But it didn’t seem to work as he had hoped it would.
"Who’s that with His Highness?"
He caught the murmurs as they passed, trailing behind them like whispers carried on the air. His presence had been noticed. It was impossible to hide in plain sight when you were walking beside such a noticeable figure.
The sa scene repeated for quite a while until eventually they reached a quieter and emptier section of the castle. It was also far more extravagant than the rest. The decorations here were richer, more refined, and the atmosphere almost suffocating in its grandeur.
They walked through it in silence, for longer than Elion expected.
Until Alexander suddenly spoke.
"We’re just about there," he said in a more casual tone. He hesitated a bit, as if contemplating whether he should continue, and cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, "And... I thought I should ntion this."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Don’t mind much of what my father says. He’s a bit... eccentric."
That was all he said, and he kept walking. Elion frowned slightly.
’What’s that supposed to an...?’
He didn’t get the chance to ask.
They turned a corner and stepped into a much wider corridor. At the very end, dark oak double doors stood tall.
They looked massive and imposing. A pair of unmoving guards stood stationed at the entrance. Elion’s eyes lingered on the doors.
’This has to be our destination.’
Judging by their size alone, it had to be sothing significant. He assud that it could be a throne room, or maybe a grand hall, or a ballroom
He couldn’t be entirely sure. He had never been inside a castle before. But even he knew that paces like this followed certain patterns. After all, there were plenty of archetypes in such places among the general populace.
They reached the doors, and Alexander’s two guards stopped first, stepping aside to stand on either side of the corridor, making way for him to pass through.
"His Highness, the Prince, has returned," they both said simply.
"Your timing is as impeccable as ever, Your Highness," one of the guards at the entrance said.
From her voice alone, Elion could tell she was a woman. He hadn’t really paid attention before, but now that he looked, the chest of her armour was more rounded, clearly accommodating her sizeable mounds.
"They are all waiting for you," the other guard added, his voice deep and gruff.
Elion briefly considered checking their levels, but his instincts imdiately scread at him not to. He stopped himself before he ssed up.
’They’re that type of mages...’
The kind who could sense when soone was gauging their strength.
’If people like them were on the battlefield... they would shift the war in our favour without a doubt,’ he thought internally.
"This is...?" the female guard asked, her gaze sweeping over Elion from head to toe.
"Ahh, Wendy is as curious as ever, I see," Alexander teased. Elion blinked, slightly surprised by the tone of familiarity in his voice.
The woman cleared her throat awkwardly.
"I’m asking for security reasons," she said flatly.
"Yes, yes, of course, Wendy...."
"Don’t call by my na, Your Highness. It’s very inappropriate," she cut in.
"What?" Alexander feigned ignorance. "Am I not allowed to call my wet nurse by her na?"
"P-Prince Alexander!?"
She seed caught between shouting and whispering at the sa ti, her arms snapping forward as if she was about to snap his mouth shut with her gloved hands, only stopping herself at the last second.
Elion didn’t need to see her face to know that she was definitely blushing beneath that helt. Alexander laughed brightly, even wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
Elion didn’t quite know what to make of the interaction, so he simply stood there in silence.
The other guard cleared his throat awkwardly, though he seed to be struggling to contain his laughter as well.
"Ti is short, Your Highness."
"Fine, fine," Alexander said, waving it off. "Let introduce you."
He gestured toward Elion.
"This is the fourth hero, Ser Elion. I believe you’ve heard the rumours."
Elion noticed their brows rise slightly beneath the narrow slits of their helts.
The atmosphere around the two guards changed the mont those words settled into their minds. By the way they were looking at Elion now, it looked like they were silently evaluating him.
"...So this is him," Wendy said quietly. There was no mockery or disbelief in her voice, just a calm acknowledgent of the fact.
"He looks like he’s stronger than the others," Wendy added lightly.
’How is she able to tell sothing like that from a simple glance?’ Elion thought to himself.
"I’d love to drag him down to the training grounds for a brief spar, as I did with the others," The other guard cracked his knuckles sharply.
The sound made Elion’s body tense instinctively. A faint tingle ran down his spine.
Alexander waved him off lazily.
"Another ti, Borris."
"Aye, Your Highness," he replied with a grin hidden beneath his helm. "I’ll hold you to that."
’Don’t take him seriously, you idiot...’ Elion scread inwardly to himself, but his silent cry was lost on them.
Alexander rolled his shoulders lightly, his earlier playful deanour fading as he stepped forward.
"Good. Let’s not keep my father and the court waiting any longer."
He glanced back at Elion briefly.
"We are going in."
Elion nodded.
Creeeeeeak!
The large doors suddenly opened on their own the mont Alexander stepped forward, "His Highness, Prince Alexander, has returned!"
All four guards spoke at once, including the pair who had accompanied Elion and Alexander. "And... Ser Elion, the fourth summoned hero!"
They added it at the end. Elion raised a brow at that, then he stepped forward.
Alexander had already moved ahead at so point, so Elion had to take a larger first step to catch up before adjusting his pace.
The mont he crossed the threshold, a brief, blinding brilliance overwheld his vision. It faded quickly, and on the other side, a vast throne room unfolded before him.
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