That's More Like It

Half a day. That’s how much further the capital was. The ride was uneventful, but I was getting tired of all the road-tripping, to be honest. Can’t we invent some, like, plane or something with magic? Get it together, guys.

From Nemasus, the landscape evolved as we inched closer to the actual capital — farms began appearing more frequently until there was no unsettled land in view. At a certain point, buildings akin to the ones we had seen last night cropped up, though I didn’t hear any announcements that we’d arrived. The townships grew and grew until the scenery outside the window was definitively larger (and more impressive) than that of Nemasus.

Still, is this it? For a capital, you’d expect… more? My 21st-century life may have impacted my expectations. My apartment was on the 11th floor of my building, after all.

Our carriage came to a stop soon after my judgy musings. It seemed darker outside. That’s weird, it’s nowhere near dusk. I looked up at the sky, and that was when I saw it: a massive, looming wall casting an early afternoon shadow over the surrounding streets. Oh.

We picked back up, much slower now, as we crept closer to the wall. The towering structure took up the entire view outside until we passed through a huuuuge gate and out the other side.

Finley beamed at me. “Welcome to Bridd!”

His sister pointed out the window with her thumb. “This,” Diana said with a smirk, “is the capital.”

Ah. We were just in the suburbs before.

The streets of Bridd were much more lively than Nemasus. Throngs of people made their way in and out of shops, taverns, and homes with bright expressions. Many noticed the carriages and, upon seeing the royal twins, began to wave or bow excitedly. None of them showed fear or submission on their faces; rather, it was as if they were genuinely happy to see the Caestra siblings in the flesh. Finley opened one of the windows and fired off a few blue sparks into the sky, like mini fireworks, sending the crowds into cheers.

Diana rolled her eyes.

The streets and buildings were made up of similar sandstone, though here, the smallest structures were at least three stories tall. Plenty of laundry hung from high windows, and decorative strings with small flags wove their way from roof to roof. Nooks, crannies, and inviting alleys abounded.

I didn’t see any magic, though, aside from what Finley had just shown. Though I wanted to ask why the streets were so un-magical for a nation this proud of its magic, I didn’t like how Diana kept reacting to the topic. I’ll corner Finley at some point and squeeze it out of him alone.

Passing by a large plaza and park a few streets in, it became clear to me that this was where the festival was to take place. Huge banners and beds of flowers marked the entrance, and inside, people were busy constructing stalls and booths like a farmer’s market. I looked to the twins for confirmation. They smiled and nodded. That’s gonna be fun!

We wound our way to ‘Bridd Palace,’ which Diana had explained was at the center of the city, standing above everything else. I felt an incline grow stronger with every foot. The closer we got, the more relaxed the twins became. Happy to be home, huh? A part of me wished I could share in the comfort, but returning to my home would be a bit more complicated.

We got off next to a courtyard, and some knights stayed with me and my maids while the rest went off with some servants from the palace to shelter our transport.

Before I could ask to explore a little, Diana announced, “We best get on, we’ve a few things to take care of.” Rats.

First on the agenda was meeting with the Emperor. Always with these noble meetings. Princessing is busy work. The twins led us through the main entrance, into the first hall. It was open and airy, massive holes where windows would have been giving a view from the top of the hill to the city around it. In the distance, the wall marking official city limits appeared tiny, and visibility stretched all the way out to the outskirts with farms on the horizon. The palace, at the center of the capital, was also the highest point, and all the buildings climbed up to it in a slope.

Bridd Palace featured many open-air spaces and courtyards, natural light streaming in from all directions. Plants were everywhere, hanging in pots or growing in boxes.

“What do you do in the winter?” I asked Finley as he and his sister guided the Lumineuse company through another breezy hall.

“Oh, our winters aren’t very severe. A bit chilly at times, but we keep torches and braziers lit,” he explained.

There were some full walls, of course. Massive open ones dominated the outer wings, but as we ventured deeper, it became more like a deep castle than an open pavilion. Still, the difference between it and the palace I ‘lived in’ was staggering. This place was not nearly as concerned with showing off gold and wealth, instead using statues and reliefs carved straight into the tan stone to convey magnificence. My “house” had felt mostly wooden on the inside, but here, the weight of the bare stone around me was almost suffocating.

We arrived at a set of huge wooden doors, which Finley and Diana each pushed open to reveal a grand hall that was open to the sky. I gawked. I was sure we were deep in the bowels of the palace! It was like a cave. Where the hell did this come from?

In the center, an older man sat at the head of a long table in a fancy chair, attended by a series of other noble-looking men (and even women).

“Hey, Father!” Diana hollered.

He looked up from his meeting. “Oh, my children! You’ve returned!” His eyes flitted to me. “And with a princess safe in tow! Wonderful. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, friends.” He bowed to the table and stood up to come greet us.

The resemblance was clear. The emperor shared the twins’ sharp features and maroon hair, though his face was noticeably more worn with time.

“Princess Lumineuse! I’m so glad you were able to make it safely. We were truly worried when we heard the King was sending you through the Cernnos Woods.” His eyes were full of kindness, and he gave a slight bow. I felt at ease in his presence.

Huh. That’s weird. He doesn’t seem like a deviant or a monster at all.

I curtsied, an action that was becoming more and more familiar, even natural to me. “Pleased to meet you. Princess Elisabeth Iris Lumineuse, alive and well.”

Finley followed me up. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Hey, I already staked my claim,” Diana joked (at least, I think it was a joke).

Stepping forward with a sneer, Margot put a stop to it. “Your Excellency, might you restrain your unruly children?”

The Emperor didn’t seem perturbed whatsoever. In fact, he threw his head back in hearty laughter. “Children, come now, don’t go creating any problems for us, yes? Nobody has the right to her life.” He put a hand on the shoulder of each of his children.

I was flustered. Never before had people fought over me, let alone continually referred to me as “beautiful.” Much like having this body, rather than feeling strange, it was kind of comforting.

Emperor Caestra continued, “Princess Lumineuse, I would like to personally thank you for coming to visit our wonderful nation for the Dawn of Spring.” He gestured around at the open-air palace room. “I hope it will be a refreshing, fulfilling, and exciting time for you.”

With that, Diana and Finley guided me to a guest wing with a gorgeous view of the city. I had a massive room all to myself (and Marie) that opened to an entire private terrace. Margot had a room down the hall, next to the knights’ quarters. A squadron of servants was assigned to the guest wing, though you wouldn’t have been able to tell from looking. They were dressed like anyone else I’d seen on the streets before, rather than the standard maid outfits Marie and Margot donned.

Marie and I spent the evening on the terrace, enjoying the sunset, as my mind raced.