Enter the Ivory Palace: the third step II

Cordelia felt a burst of happiness flushed within her. She was finally going to the abode of the Monarch who destroyed her Kingdom. Nothing could make her more happier that getting to the third step. She was just one step away from fulfilling her mission. Cordelia bowed her head the entire time from letting the person sitting in front of her to see the happy look on her face.

Ethan kept staring at the auburn hair of the woman sitting opposite him. ' Is she shy?' he asked inwardly. 'She hasn't raises her head since we entered the carriage'

"Are you alright, Lady Cordelia?", Ethan asked un a concerned tone.

Cordelia raised her head to look at him. She masked the glee on her face, "Y-yes I am fine, Your Highness", but there was a tinge of happiness in her voice.

"You can call me Prince Ethan, no one calls me Your Highness. That one is meant for my brother, the Grand Prince", he told her.

"Okay, Prince Ethan. May I know why I was called by His Royal Highness?", she probed, even though she already knew. But she wanted to act clueless.

"You will find out when we get to the Palace. I can't disclose anything to you yet", Ethan replied.

"I will keep my questions to myself then", Cordelia said as she leaned her back on the backrest of the blue velveteen chair, looking outside through the window.

"Are you a native?", Ethan inquired. He was that if she was, he could have seen her somewhere.

"No I am not, Prince Ethan",

"Where are you from?",

"The north",

"Precisely where?"

Cordelia took a while to answer the question," Leera Village", she didn't want to disclose exactly where she came from. At least, not to him. She wanted to go as low as she could. She didn't know if the news of the destruction of Evalon reached his ears.

"I have never heard of a place like that before. It must be in the middle of nowhere", Ethan said casually. Cordelia said nothing but she was happy with his response.

...

Sylvester came out from the circular pool in his bathroom. His sculpted body glistened as drops of water raced down his body. He wore a black dressing robe and rubbed his wet blonde hair dry with a small towel, making his hair disheveled. He looked a lot like the handsome man he was. He came out of the bathroom to his room only to see a woman sitting leisurely on the armchair as though she was waiting for him to come out.

"You do know how to enter rooms without passing through the doors", Sylvester said to the woman. He knew that if someone entered his room, he would definitely hear the sound of the doors opening and closing. But this woman never used doors ever since he had known her.

She was a tall woman with long white silky hair. She was clad in a black tight fitting gown that glued to her body like second skin.

"That's what I love to do", the woman chuckled before standing up from the armchair.

"Shannon, did you come here because of the woman you prophesied about?", Sylvester asked in his usual gruff voice.

"Yes, I want to see the emotions on your face", Shannon said as she walked towards him.

"I can tell you that I'm happy", Sylvester folded his arms under his chest, " You don't have to barge into my room for that",

"She is on her way here", Sylvester announced.

"I know",

"Then you should have waited in the courtroom",

"I don't want her to meet me yet. I will reveal myself to her when the time comes", Shannon moved away from his sight.

Sylvester's eyebrows drew together at what she said, "When are we going to start the ritual?" , he asked her but she was already gone. Sylvester released a sharp breath. He was a little annoyed with the witch's actions just when he wanted to ask the most crucial question.

...

The royal carriage eventually stopped and the carriage door was opened by one of the coachmen. Cordelia came down to meet the beautiful sight of the Ivory Palace. The Ivory Palace looked like a huge château but smaller than a castle. Just like the way it was last night when she came for the ball. It was painted white and it looked beautiful just as she thought. The purple banners were gone.

Cordelia looked around the beautiful and clean environment.

The prey summoned the predator to his habitation.

She couldn't wait to do what she had always wanted to do. Today was her lucky day of opportunities.

"Lady Cordelia, let's go inside. You are yet to see the interiors of the Ivory Palace", Ethan uttered. He knew that she was taking in the beauty of the exterior of the Ivory Palace. Cordelia nodded and followed him in. Prince Ethan was not wrong, the interior looked much more glorious.

They went straight to the courtroom where they waited for the Grand Prince to come out.

An elderly woman in her early fifties, dressed in maid's clothes approached them,

"Prince Ethan", the woman gave a slight bow, "His Royal Highness asked me to take the lady coming with you to get her dressed up before his arrival", the maid said.

"There is nothing wrong with my dress", Cordelia was quick to say. Her dress was not dirty nor was it tattered. She did see any point in dressing up just because someone wanted to see her.

"I think you should follow her, Lady Cordelia. You don't want to go against the Grand Prince's orders. Do you?", Ethan gave her knowing look.

Cordelia released a breath, "I will follow her", she said. She didn't want anything to block her way of opportunities. Now was not the time to be stubborn.

Cordelia followed the maid to a particular room that was located in one of the upper chambers. The door was opened by the maid and Cordelia saw two other maids waiting inside the room.

The maids did not take an extra second as they quickly removed her dress from her body and helped her wear a beautiful green dress that had multiple steps on the skirt. Then the maids sat her in front of a mirror, combed her hair and applied scented hair oils on it. They put hairpins on the partings ro prevent strands from getting to her face. They applied little makeup to her face for they believed that she was beautiful without it.

"It is done, Milady", the elder maid said to her. Cordelia stood up and looked around her reflection, "Can we go to the courtroom now?", she asked.

"Yes, Milady", the elder maid led her out of the room back to the courtroom.

The moment she entered the courtroom, the Grand Prince also arrived.