Palace tour.

"May I ask where the king might be." She said. One of the reasons she couldn't sleep was because she kept on wondering where the king slept in, since he left her in his room.

"Oh!, he left for a very important meeting, I apologize on his behalf for him not being the one taking you on this tour." He said, as he bowed his head solemnly. He misunderstood the reason she asked him the question.

"N-no, there's no problem with you being the one to show me around, I asked for a different reason." She immediately corrected.

"Alright your highness, that's a relief." He said. "Well then let's have breakfast, i'm sure you'll love the food here." He said with a smile.

*****

After they both finished breakfast, Zel started with the tour, he showed her around the grand palace. As they walked through the grand halls, the air was filled with regalty, the walls were lined with potraits of past rulers, each one captured the essence of their reign. The floors were made of polished marble, it reflected the warm glow of the chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings. As they went further, he showed her lavish chambers, each looked better than the last.

The library in the palace was a treasure trove. Literally.

As she stepped in she was greeted by rows and rows of towering bookshelves, they stretched up to the ceilings. The shelves were filled with ancient tomes, leather-bound classics and beautiful illustrated manuscripts. This was like haven for her, because she was secretly a book worm.

In the centre of the library, there was a grand oak table, surrounded by plush armchairs. The air was scented with the faint aroma of aged paper and ink.

Tall windows lined one side of the library, it allowed nature light to stream in and cast a gentle glow on the reading nooks.

Aliya could already imagine herself in this wonderful sanctuary of a library.

"You look like your about to scream with joy from just looking at this place." Zel chuckled. "Feel free to come here anytime, besides here is now your home."

Aliya smiled hearing that, she couldn't wait to explore this place.

The last place he took her to was the garden, where she would be meeting her new guards.

The garden air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming roses and the gentle sound of a trickling stream. The garden was a symphony of colours, with vibrant flowers in every shade imaginable. Tall, graceful trees provided shade and a sense of tranquillity. Aliya was awed by the beauty of the garden.

"Long live her highness, queen Aliya Marigold Van-leon." Two unknown voices said in unison.

Aliya looked at the two tall and muscular men in front of her.

One was dark skinned with an unnoticeable scar that cut across from the left side of his temple to his cheek. His short auburn hair framed his face, it gave him a sense of warmth amidst his stoic demeanour.

The other guard had a tanned skin that spoke of the time he spent under the sun. His hair was skillfully braided into neat cornrows. Despite his imposing physique, he looked nicer than the first guard.

"This are your new guards your highness, this is Alec." He said referring to the tanned skin guard. "And this is Kace. They will be with you at all times." Zel said.

"It'll be our honour to serve you your highness." The two guards said, as they bowed their head.