VOLUME 12: CHAPTER SIX PART 1

Author's notes: Sorry for the delay.

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VOLUME 12: CHAPTER 6

"Princess, His Majesty, the Emperor, has summoned you."

It was surprising news. It had only been two days since they'd arrived at the capital.

Emperor Sylvius was a busy man, and considering the current predicament the nation was facing, she didn't expect they would be granted an audience this soon.

"We have three hours," said the head maid. "Please get ready, Your Highness."

Princess Luna nodded. "The preparations for Sir Reginald?"

"The other maids are already taking care of the esteemed guest as we speak," said Selina. "They'll make sure he looks presentable before meeting His Majesty. The etiquette instructor has already briefed the ambassador. Please be at ease."

Princess Luna did not know much about the customs of the Lukasians, by for an imperial subject, one must undergo thorough preparation before meeting the sovereign.

There were several rules, but most of them boiled down to these: one must be impeccably dressed, one must surrender all weapons before entering the imperial palace, and one must show utmost courtesy when meeting the royals.

These were stringent rules, and there had been several occasions before wherein people were cut down right where they stood for not adhering to them.

The Emperor was the Sun and the Moon of the nation. His words were the law, and with a single command, hundreds of thousands of soldiers would heed his call.

The Devourer of Lands.

A whimsical madman who controlled a fifth of the entire continent's land.

After the necessary preparations, Princess Luna and Reginald Vont left the estate and arrived at the imperial palace.

Princess Luna had been here several times before, but it was only after she visited the Kingdom of Lukas did she understand how massive the imperial palace was.

The right wing of the imperial palace alone was twice larger than the king's castle, where King Lark resided. Moreover, there was also the left wing, the central palace, the sun palace, the moon palace, the royal mausoleum, the imperial pantheon, the imperial knights order, and the fourth tower of mages.

The sheer size of this place bespoke the wealth and power of the Empire.

After disembarking from the carriage, Princess Luna observed the lukasian ambassador. She expected the ambassador to be fidgety and anxious, but to her surprise, he did not seem uneasy at all.

Princess Luna did not know where his confidence came from, but Reginald was unexpectedly calm, as though he did not fear the upcoming meeting with the Emperor.

Princess Luna read the words that had formed on top of the ambassador's head.

[I see. The right wing is connected to the headquarters of the Imperial Knights Order.]

[And the left wing is connected to the Fourth Tower of Mages.]

[Based on the flags, the central palace is protected by the Royal Guards.]

[It's overkill.]

[Combined with the imperial soldiers protecting the capital, the imperial palace is basically an impregnable fortress. The Emperor is practically untouchable with all these powerful forces protecting him.]

For a few seconds, Princess Luna bewilderedly gazed at Reginald. She didn't know how the ambassador managed to put all of the information together in such a short period of time, but all of them were correct.

It was a bit dumbfounding that instead of trembling from trepidation, the ambassador was analyzing the structure of the imperial palace instead. The ambassador's composure was comparable to that of the Chief Royal Advisor.

His calm demeanor and his ability to calmly assess his surroundings were probably among the reasons why King Lark entrusted him with this mission.

"Let's go, Sir Reginald," said Princess Luna.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After entering the imperial palace, a chamberlain escorted them to a sitting room. Jacob Fraser was already inside, silently sitting on the couch as he waited for the Princess and Reginald to arrive. He stood up the moment the group entered.

"Ah, Lord Fraser," said Princess Luna.

Jacob Fraser politely nodded his head. "Princess." He turned to Reginald and added, "Sir Ambassador."

Reginald greeted back. "It's been a while, Lord Magician."

After that short exchange, the chamberlain cleared his throat. With unfriendly eyes, he scanned Reginald from head to foot. He didn't bother hiding his contempt and disgust for the foreign dignitary.

The chamberlain cleared his throat, raised his chin, and said, "As per the Emperor's command, only Princess Luna and Lord Fraser shall be allowed inside the throne room."

Princess Luna glared at him. "What do you mean?"

Despite being subjected to the Princess' gaze, there was no change in the chamberlain's expression. "It is as you've heard. I'm only following His Majesty's will, Your Highness. Again, only you and Lord Fraser shall be permitted inside."

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Note: Idk why but because of permission i have to separate chapters