Chapter 94

ALEXANDER'S POV

The carriage slowly trotted through the dense forest of the kingdom. Bird songs and water streams sounded together to create a calming melody that made the princess sitting next to me fall asleep.

Her head gently rested on my shoulder, our hands tangled together in a soft grip. I made sure not to make a single noise, going as far as to breathe slowly as well.

Oddly, her carriage differs a lot from Artorius and mine. While for us two it's a simple design, hers is a lot more flamboyant. Dare I say, it's a show-off.

Usually, carriages are designed in gold and white, symbolizing purity and riches. The same colours are used on hers but the designs are taken further than just simplicity.

It overflowed with gold. White could barely be seen in this carriage. It was mostly made of gold. From the outlines to the rims of the wheels. It was all gold.

At the front, two mermaids were sculpted and painted in gold. As if it wasn't obvious enough, she likes shiny and expensive accessories.

I stared out the windows which were much bigger than the ones in my carriage. The view was getting boring too soon.

Though the capital is quite close to our county, it still takes over three hours to reach it. We had set off late as well, late enough for the sun to start setting before we reached our destination.

I sigh softly trying to calm down from all that is happening. It's only been a day since Artorius is gone and it feels like I've lost control of my life.

By some sheer luck, I ended up with my hands tangled in between a princess' hand as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"We'll be arriving shortly," The chauffeur notified us.

His voice was deafened out inside but it reached my ears. I turned to Olivia and saw her still sound asleep.

"Hey, wake up," I whispered while moving my shoulder. "We're reaching the capital.

Olivia slowly opened her eyes, looking around her and tightening her grip with my hands.

"Mm~ Where are we?" She asked, still drowsy from her beauty sleep.

"Close apparently," I answered.

She looked outside and turned back to me. Her heterochromatic eyes gave me an alluring stare, making my heart skip a beat.

"Are you ready to meet mother properly for the first time?" She asked me before breaking into a sweet smile.

"Is my hair looking good?" I asked her.

She looked at it before caressing her hands through my hair, giving it a nice shuffle before giving a satisfied grin.

"Looks good enough!"

I turned my attention to the front of the carriage, trying to figure out how far we are from the capital.

At first glance, I notice the mighty wall that protects the city. Made of massive blocks of limestone. It towered over the densely forested area that the city was situated in.

Carriages came in and out of the city as the colossal gates stayed open. A lot of the traffic seemed to be from traders and adventurers who came from distant lands, mostly humans and dark elves dressed in common clothing.

They drove cautiously, seeing the royal carriage slowly trot past. No one dared to come too close to it. Heads turned and eyes stared as we slowly came closer to the city gates.

We didn't stop at the gates like before. We were allowed through with ease. Guards who stood at the gate bowed as the carriage rolled into the city.

Since I was little, I had always been fascinated by big cities such as capitals. They had no names other than "the capital". Usually, cities and towns have names, but these were too grand for them.

All the buildings were made of either marble or limestone. The most obvious colour in the city was white. It looked bleak, but in a good way. It was simple and somehow pleasant to the eye.

Everything looked bleak, nearly dystopian. If it weren't for the lively elves that kept the city up and running, it would've looked deserted.

Different from the humans, we elves made buildings using mainly stones with little to no use of timber or wood. It's no wonder we have such dense forests compared to the vast glades and open land humans have.

"You've been here before, haven't you?" Olivia asked, noticing my stare out the window with keen interest.

"I have," I answered. "But the city is always a pleasant surprise to me,"

"Is that so?" She chuckled. "Which places have you been to?"

"I usually don't visit the city," I tried explaining. "I stay in our estate in the city. Only leaving when I visit the cathedral or for a casual walk,"

"When was the last time you came here?" She asked.

"Last time…"

I tried to remember when the last time was. But my memory was too hazy to remember. It had been so long that I had forgotten about my last visit.

"When was it?" She pressured me.

"I think it was three or four years ago,"

"That's quite long," She gasped. "Seems like you may need a proper tour of the city,"

"Are you willing to give me one?" I asked with a playful smile.

"You may need to stay more than three days then," Olivia shot me a wink.

Both of us shared a hearty laugh before she tightened her grip on my hands.

"You know… I've never had this much fun with someone before," She said while looking down.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Usually, there's no one else in the castle to spend time with other than my sister. But, as we grew older, we slowly grew more distant."

Her resting smile slowly faded and turned into a gloomy frown. The more she explained, the more I realised how restricted her life was.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," I said, trying to make her feel better. "It must've been lonely, right?"

"I spent a lot of time studying magic to cope with the loneliness," She caressed her hands with mine. "I thought if I became a powerful mage, I could relate better to the nobles and other royals,"

"Did it help?"

"Not much," She giggled softly. "Most of the elf nobles and royals are archers. I was the odd one out, being a mage instead,"

"Huh, tough luck," I replied hastily. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm a melee fighter,"

"We both are odd ones out, huh," Her smile returned.

"If two wrongs make a right, can two odds make a normal?"

"Hehe, perhaps," She hides her laugh with her hand.

The carriage slowly came to a halt as it stood in front of a matte gate. Behind the gate was a large palace that covered a large portion of the north.

"We've finally arrived," She said under her breath. "Get ready to meet your in-law,"

"I-in law!?" I exclaimed. "Too soon!"

The simple iron gates slowly crept open as guards pulled them apart. Soldiers that were tall and metal-clad stood on both ends of the pathway as we entered.

We entered the palace and were greeted by the guards. They bowed as we slowly went past. I made eye contact with one as he got up from his bow. His emotionless face threw me off for a second.

It didn't take long for us to come to a halt near the entrance. The chauffeur came and opened the door.

"We've arrived, your highness," The chauffeur said as he opened the door.

I came down first from the carriage, something I learnt from watching Artorius. He would always get off first and help Kathlyn get down.

"A gentleman!" Olivia smiled as her eyebrows danced.

She held my hand and got down from the carriage. We began to walk towards the palace in a joyful trot, holding hands and glancing around the well-kept yard.

The palace doors slowly crept open as we grew closer to it. The architecture of the palace was similar to every other palace. Except, this palace was purely made of limestone.

"Greetings, your highness," A familiar young female servant greeted us as we entered.

"Are you feeling better, Ophelia?" Olivia asked her.

"Yes, I am, your highness," The silver-haired valet responded with a smile.

"Where are mother and father?" Olivia asked her.

"They've been waiting for you two in the drawing room," She extended her arm, showing us the path.

"Come and lead the way then," Olivia told her as she turned to me.

I smiled at her, hoping to not look awkward in front of her assistant.

From what I've figured, Ophelia is her assistant. Though I have yet to confirm it, I've seen her next to Olivia in public.

As we walked through the palace, my eyes caught on the glazed terracotta floor that the palace used. Something that I found unusual.

In most cases, wooden flooring is used. Common exceptions are in the foyer or ballrooms, especially rooms where the floors would stand out. But for this palace, it's all made of glazed terracotta.

The designs were rather complex as well. Though not as complex as mosaic flooring, it looked dazzling, paired with the lighting. The reflection told me about cleanliness, something that is unsurprising.

No red carpets or any other material was used on the floors of the hallway. It was all glazed terracotta through and through. The ceiling was made of marble and the walls were made of limestone. All of these materials must weigh this entire building a lot, along with heavy costs.

But, the drawing room was not so far from the foyer. It took us a minute, rather short compared to some other palaces where it takes five minutes or more of walking. Sometimes leading to another floor.

Ophelia led the way and stopped in front of a double door. She flung the doors open and moved out of the way, bowing down and letting us enter first.

"They've finally arrived!" A young and feminine voice called out as we entered.

The first person I noticed as I entered was none other than her majesty, Lady Iris.

She sat on her armchair, exuding powerful energy only from the way she sat and stared. Though she is rather kind-hearted, she can be cold and a tough character from time to time.

And one of those times is now, meeting her daughter's soon-to-be husband.

"Greetings, your majesty," I bowed down as soon as it was appropriate.

"Good evening, Alexander," She said in a menacing tone. "It's nice to see you again,"

"It's my pleasure," I said with a smile, hoping to thaw her cold outer shell.

"Sis!" Olivia exclaimed before running towards her sister.

Her sister, Lily Curtis, was just a younger version of Olivia. Similar brunette hair and figure, the only difference is that she didn't have different coloured pupils.

They both were overjoyed to see each other once again, giving each other a warm hug. I was left to awkwardly stand in front of her mother and father, hoping to get the signal to sit down or move.

"Take a seat," Her father said. "It must've been a long journey from one kingdom to another,"

"The journey was short and easy," I said while taking my seat on the sofa on the right, closer to him. "It was comfortable and relaxing! Not to mention, it was quick,"

"How so!?" Lady Iris exclaimed in shock. "It takes days, doesn't it?"

"Not anymore," A sly smirk grew on my face. "Thanks to the collaboration of many patrons, including Olivia. We've managed to create a vehicle to cut the time from going from days to just a measly five hours."

Her furrowed eyebrows shot up as her eyes widened. "That is astonishing!" She exclaimed. "So you're telling me it only takes five hours to get from Caelfall to the capital of Faunus Kingdom?"

"Yes, your majesty," I suppressed my ugly grin. "The journey is comfortable too! Especially to those who are in the royal cabin,"

"The royal cabin?" She asked. "What's that?"

"It's a luxury cabin that only allows royals and nobles to use it," I began explaining. "It's reserved for only the richest and most influential!"

Olivia and her sister whispered to each other as her parents gave me blank stares. The awkward moment that lasted a few seconds was broken when her father broke into soft laughter.

"Haha… You're exaggerating, right?" He said, trying to get the real story.

"It's all true," I tried to persuade. "Nothing is exaggerated. The time and benefits are all real,"

"What are the downsides to such a vehicle?" Lady Iris asked, still skeptical about it.

"Hmm, that is a great question," I held my chin. "The only major downside is that it makes a lot of noise on the outside and it cannot be turned at will,"

"Care to explain more?" Lady Iris asked.

"Of course, your majesty,"