The crowd waited until the moment of the reveal, and when the two women pulled back the carriage curtains to greet the public, a gasp of awe rippled through the citizens. Children stood slack-jawed, convinced they were in the presence of figures plucked straight from the fairy tales they knew, while many men and some women blushed at the sight before them. Grimilde and Snow White were truly beautiful, and the contrast of their colors made the pair absolutely radiant. The Princess of Arran's smile was the first thing to spark movement in the crowd again, unleashing adoring cheers. Snow White was particularly good at touching people's hearts, making them feel special with a simple look or smile, simply because they were graced by her attention.
Grimilde turned her eyes to the princess and relaxed, deciding to be just as involved as she was in greeting the crowd surrounding their carriage. When she started smiling too, the excitement seemed to grow exponentially, and everyone tried to get a better look at the royal family of Arran, loudly demanding their greetings and attention.
They soon arrived at the castle, and Askmon Huskarl was the first to reach the carriage, opening the door to let the two women out. Before he could offer his hand to the Queen, Grimilde had already stepped down and was helping the princess. Askmon recovered from his momentary confusion and smiled cordially at the two women: "Welcome, it is a great honor to meet you."
Askmon knew their language, so he put it to good use to welcome them properly, even though he wasn't as fluent as he would have liked. Grimilde and Snow White surprised the tribal chief when they replied in his own language, demonstrating their skills and, most importantly, endearing themselves to Askmon.
"Please follow me... the rest of the guests are waiting inside the palace. The Sun of the Empire will join us shortly as well."
Askmon nodded a greeting to the regent and princess's escorts and headed toward the entrance. Astrael looked around, while Iza shot a glance at Derek, silently asking him to follow them as far as he could. Her brother nodded and stepped down from the carriage, helping the Krussgard guards deal with the horses and the vehicle.
"Let's go." Grimilde placed a hand on the small of the princess's back, prompting her to move with her, while Iza followed silently.
The entrance was richly decorated, featuring precious objects on high-quality furniture, various paintings depicting landscapes and familiar faces, and a brilliant chandelier hanging from the rather high ceiling. The predominant colors inside the castle were dark green and brown—hues also found in the local clothing. The servants welcomed the guests along the way to the hall where the welcome banquet would be held. Truth be told, there would also be a buffet party that the various princes' and regents' escorts would have access to.
"I beg of you, do not get too angry if some foreign king or prince makes comments and displays paternalistic attitudes, typical of the misogynistic heritage they possess. Teaching them a good lesson once we reach the arena will suffice..."
Grimilde and Snow White exchanged a confused look, then both turned to Astrael with a highly suspicious expression. "Since when are you an advocate for women?"
Iza stood by watching their interaction without uttering a word; not that she had anything to say, considering she was left dumbfounded and amazed by the way these three individuals were conversing. The royal counselor was addressing the royal family as if there were no difference in rank! Moreover, with what audacity was he saying such things without lowering his voice? Anyone could be listening to them right now!
"Need I remind you who I am..." The demon tried to convey the rest of the sentence with his eyes, but Grimilde and Snow White had already gone back to ignoring him. Astrael flashed the unsettling smile he usually wore, but since Iza hadn't known him for long, she was baffled by that expression as well. The more hours she spent by Grimilde's side, the more she realized that a lot of things had changed recently. Keeping company with the Queen had become very complex.
"Your escorts will join you shortly, but in the meantime, please make yourselves comfortable with the rest of the guests in the banquet hall." At that point, Fromm Kersink also appeared, having just exited the hall, ready to welcome the newcomers himself. Fromm had a long black beard, pitch-black eyes, and a gaze made piercing by his thick eyebrows. "Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness... I welcome you to Krussgard. I am Fromm Kersink, at your service for any need. I hope you will enjoy your stay in our city."
"Fromm, how about you announce their presence without wasting any more time? The Empress..." Askmon stopped before finishing his sentence, as Fromm shot him a warning glare. Grimilde pretended not to have noticed their interaction, but it would be foolish to lower her guard around the two Umgardians.
Snow White took a deep breath and looked out of the corner of her eye at Astrael and Iza, who were stepping away from them. Now it would be just the two of them, she and the Queen, and they would have to face their first real test. The meeting with the Empress had made their hearts restless, for different reasons, while the idea of a powerful witch being present triggered something visceral, a fear they didn't want to name. The unknown, not knowing what to expect from that person, from that being with extraordinary, undiscovered abilities. What kind of personality could she have? Sadistic? The rumors were scarce and unreliable, but they spoke of a citadel destroyed by green flames and occupied by vengeful spirits. Now, they would discover everything. The long-awaited moment of revelation had arrived.
Askmon and Fromm introduced them with great respect and led them inside the banquet hall. The two women had the chance to observe the rest of the guests for the first time, but before they could even form an impression of them, the waiting group was struck by their flawless, stunning appearance. The Queen and the princess had changed clothes for the occasion, choosing luxurious dresses that communicated the importance of the wearer. Their colors complemented each other wonderfully, and, without doing so on purpose, they looked like two angels of different castes.
Grimilde wore a golden tiara with bright, clear jewels that matched her dark blue dress, which was finely decorated with golden lines and spirals and left her pale shoulders bare. Snow White was wearing a dress made by the Queen specifically for her: Grimilde had designed it with her in mind, wishing to capture the purity that defined the princess, but also the richness of her soul. Snow White was impossible to ignore in that silvery-white gown, featuring a decorative pattern that mirrored the one on Grimilde's dress. In essence, they were united and, at the same time, a beautiful contrast.
About ten meters away from them, standing in the center of the hall, was Empress Zeyana in the company of Alex. The two women had locked their eyes on the pair from Arran from the moment they stepped onto the castle grounds, continuing to track them as they greeted the other guests up until they approached them. They soon found themselves face to face, and silence fell over the hall.
Zeyana was dressed to the nines, just like Alex, but unlike the rest of the attendees, she wore her sword strapped to her hip. The four women sized each other up for a few seconds; then, Grimilde broke the ice.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She addressed them both, letting her gaze linger on Zeyana, who was staring back at her with an enigmatic look.
Snow White noticed, however, that Alex was interested specifically in her. When they exchanged a glance, the witch took a step forward and, shocking everyone present, entered the princess's personal space. "You are just as gorgeous as the rumors say... and you have magnificent hair as well." She touched a lock of her hair and circled around her, stopping in front of her with a mischievous smirk.
Addressing a princess in that manner was sheer madness, but Snow White let it slide, since she didn't care about formalities. She decided to use a friendly approach: "The pleasure is mine... I'm curious, I would love to find out if the rumors about you are equally true."
"I could prove it to you."