Falling of the Stars

Chapter 6 - Alistair

We had ridden hard through the nights, only stopping when absolutely necessary. As the Korotian Empire now consisted of many large territories, we had a lot of ground to cover in just a few days. But it was doable, taking the main road I had carefully passed construction of to connect them more accessibly for the people. For his military units to find their posts with more ease. Or for situations such as this, when he needed to get to the southern part of the continent.

They stopped the last night at one of the southernmost outposts, allowing his small party and the horses to get a good night's rest. Then before dawn even broke the next morning, they were back on their journey, only a few hours from Dulen. The capital of Eldoria.

The land was plentifully green, with lots of lakes and farms scattered about, and mildly rocky terrain here and there. There were great rolling hills that swayed in the bitter wind that morning, many of them creating the perfect barrier for glistening lakes. The air here felt lighter, and had a distinct almost saltiness to it. Most of the country bordered the sea, including the capital itself. It rested right along the coast.

Dulen had been one of the cleanest capital's I had ever seen, with prosperous shops and restaurants along the cobblestone streets. People roamed, with bright smiles, as the town was just beginning to come to life for the day. The smell of freshly baked bread already lingering in the air.

Just before noon, we arrived at the gates of the castle unceremoniously. A small party consisting of Odart, two other servants, a handful of guards, and my most trusted right hand man in battle and closest friend, Bernard, all on horseback.

After identifying ourselves, we were let in where the guards set into a frenzied motion of notifying palace servants of our arrival, who in turn would notify the king and queen. The first Eldorian butler assigned to us, I rerouted to show all of my men to their rooms. I had very little time and wanted to get a feel for the castle's layout before too many guests started arriving. In turn, another butler offered to give me a full tour.

Perfect.

Bernard clapped me on the shoulder as we split ways, tailing after Odart and taking bags from the old man as they led the rest of the group and disappeared from sight.

Following my own guide, the man walked me around to what he considered were the highlights of the castle. Through the man gate as it was closest, he showed me the courtyard which had trees scattered about offering optimal picnicking spots. All of them were in different shades of red, orange, yellow, and green. Autumn was here, but rapidly turning towards an early winter. Even with the sun at its peak overhead, the warmth did nothing to chase away the chill breeze biting through my thick cloak.

Then he took me through the north wing, mentioning we'd be coming back in after he showed me what was considered the jewel of the palace. Through the corridors and out the back was a small staircase that led into magnificent gardens. Some of the walkways had trees so large and carefully placed that it created a covered canopy, offering shade and a sort of mysterious feeling peering down them. Other parts were normal walkways of flowers and hedges of varying kinds, and the butler informed me that they were routinely swapped out dependent on the season. The rest were kept in a greenhouse on the castle grounds down a far path, not too far of a walk from here for the gardeners.

Lattice fencing offered one path made of twisting vines that also offered coverage from the elements off to one side. It was bordered with tall, carefully trimmed bushes that opted as walls, preventing me from seeing anything beyond the immediate scope of greenery. The moment we walked through the other side, I understood why this was the highlight. The grounds opened up to just small patches of flowers and trees, but offered tables and chairs for viewing the scenery. The castle had been built at the edge of a cliff, and overlooked the sea. The breeze smelled of salt and seaweed, and I inhaled deeply at the familiarity of it. It was beautiful.