The High Palace

Two Weeks Later

The Ravens, guided by Max, walked up the Grand Staircase up to the de Jardin High Palace. There were exactly 100 steps all the way to the top, with every step etched with the names of prominent de Jardins throughout history.

The Staircase itself was almost as wide as it was tall, which allowed for clusters of people to go up and down comfortably. That was even despite the small crowds gathered here and there. Most were chatting or gossiping or compromising or arguing amongst themselves.

Sometimes random passers-by ended up drawn into the various conversations. This was, after all, the absolute center of de Jardin politics, where chatter and gossip and compromises and arguments were ubiquitous.

There were others who were more the tourist-type and simply looked around and gawked with awe at the majesty of the Palatial Grounds. It wasn’t just the High Palace here - the entire district was filled with some of the House’s most critical governmental buildings.