Chapter 59: Korvas

The trip had passed mostly uneventfully. Aside from their team just generally hanging out, they spent time playing some card and dice games with Natasha, who’d proven she was a competent player in all regards. Something born of a job with a good amount of downtime.

Arthur had made his presence known a few times, but kept out of their hair for the most part. Every time he did, he cast unapproving glances at their group, but didn’t bring up anything besides any security reports he had.

As they entered the fourth hour of travel, Kat pointed out the windows.

“Oi, there it is!” she called, dragging Ann and Rosalyn over. Looming against the horizon, coming into view around the hill they’d been circling, was a massive mountain. The largest Ann had seen besides the Rockies. It was snow capped, and part of a mountain range that complemented its size. The largest of the mountains was where Kat was pointing.

“Tha’,” she explained, “is Korvas. Capital city o’ the kingdom and its namesake. Ye can kinda see it down there at the bottom. Place is too big tae all be under the mountain, so we’ll be passin’ farmland an’ outer living areas fer a while. At the bottom, ye can kinda see the gates. They’re small right now, but they’re feckin massive once we get closer.”

“I’ve got jokes, but I get it,” Ann laughed. “So, this is where you two grew up?”

“Aye. Wonder what kind o’ welcomin’ we’ll be gettin’. Hope Da’ decides tae keep it simple.”

“Doubtful,” Bren said. “We will probably receive the full welcome. It would be your mother who is more likely to smuggle us in.”

“I hope it’s quiet,” Rosalyn said from her position sprawled over Ann’s lap. She’d been napping gently, resting on her back, as her horns made it difficult to sleep on her side.

The train pulled closer to the city. As they entered the outskirts, they stopped briefly to detach the cargo cars and continued on their way.

A sprawling network of residences, farmland, workshops and more spread from where she saw the main gates. Most were log structures, capped with either thatch or wooden planks. Dotted throughout the neighbourhoods were larger buildings made of stone. Chapels, town halls, and others Ann couldn’t identify at a glance. Thousands had to live out here, and there was more inside the mountain. It kind of reminded her of home. Minus the mountain part.

Kat undersold the gates. The train itself entered an auxiliary entrance, but they got a perfect view of the grand facade of the mountain. Carved from the granite face was a set of doors over two hundred feet high, and about as wide. They opened outwards, allowing teeming masses in and out of the capital city to the surrounding townships. Murals depicting the history of the kingdom were carved upon their massive faces, each event decorating a branch on the largest version of Korvas’ sigil that Ann had seen. She could see inlaid jewels sparkling in the sun, some glowing either with magic or just simple illumination, she wasn’t sure. It was an insane show of wealth, considering how defensible the structure must be.

Speaking of, she spied guards among the crowds. More than she’d seen at Graven Keep, in fact. They were lining the exterior of the mountain, guarding various entrances that were not the main gates. Not to say there wasn’t security there, there was probably more, but the press of humanity prevented Ann from picking them out. She gasped as she caught sight of the first Muslfar. The giant moved with a practiced slowness, carefully avoiding the much smaller people underfoot. She made her way to the front gates, moving through easily as the crowds stood aside.

“Holy shit,” Ann whistled, taking in the scene. Absent-mindedly, she noted her tail was wagging.

“Holy shit,” Rosalyn echoed, her face pressed to the glass.

The view was cut off by blackness as they entered the mountain. Sitting back down, Ann  took a moment to collect herself. “Do we need to get our luggage? How does all this work?”

“No,” Bren explained. “That will all be handled by attendants, servants, maids, and staff. For now, we simply must follow along with requests delivered until all our duties are fulfilled.”

“An’ that’ll be a feckin’ bit,” Kat grumbled, her mood souring as they neared her royal welcome. “Nat, ye’ve been a pleasure. Thanks fer not bein’ all, ye know, proper about all this.”

“It was my pleasure,” the woman replied, bowing reflexively. “I hope I’ll be present for another of your trips in the future. Unfortunately, I need to get back to work. Have a pleasant stay, everyone.” With that, she returned to the bar, taking stock of her goods, and anything else they’d consumed.

It wasn’t long before they pulled into the station. Arthur opened the door, trudging his way into the car and casting his annoyed gaze over them. “I will confirm details with the guard captain in charge of our welcome before you depart. It will be a few minutes.”

Kat just nodded, busy looking out the window at the retinue of soldiers that were gathering outside. “A royal welcome indeed,” she sighed.

A couple minutes passed, and the atmosphere in the car became tense as they waited. Just before Ann was going to ask how long it would take, Arthur opened the exterior door. “Princess, it is time.”

Nodding, Kat rose, checking her usual simple travel wear. The motion caused the rest to do the same, checking their hair and clothing for anything out of place. If Kat was concerned with presentation, they probably should be as well.

“Your highness!” The man, apparently the guard captain from his ostentatious uniform, greeted their party. “Guard Captain Orelum Northshard. Welcome home!” He and his unit saluted in unison, hands over their hearts. They were all in some really fancy armour, Ann observed. Everything sparkled, and not a hair was out of place on any of the men or women present.

“At ease,” Kat waved them off. “Ye know I hate this shite, so let’s get it o’er with. Guard Captain, greetings. Thank ye fer the welcome, an’ the escort, as unnecessary as it is. We walkin’ or do ye ‘ave a carriage? Also, where’re we headed?”

“A carriage has been obtained. We will be escorting you to the palace immediately upon loading your company’s luggage. Our orders are to disregard any requests for detours or deviations from the most direct path.”

“Well, that tells us everything,” Bren said under his breath. “We are going to speak with Kat’s parents immediately. Sounds like things are urgent.”

“Well, shit,” Ann groaned, feeling a nervous pit grow in her stomach. She squeezed Rosalyn’s hand, more for her own comfort than anything, as they disembarked the train and entered the carriage.

There was some slight jostling as their luggage was loaded up, and with a crack of the reins, they were off. Ann peeked out the window before throwing it open. Before her was a sight she’d only seen in video games or fantasy art. They were in a cavern larger than anything had any right to be. Stalactites hung from the ceiling so far above it looked slightly hazy. Lights hung and floated throughout the rocky outcroppings, looking like fireflies.

Far below the ceiling, the city proper was another sight of wonder. It was made of stone, much like Graven Keep. Unlike the Keep, this city was carved out of the very mountain. Grey granite, mixed with limestone, marbles, and other minerals Ann wasn’t familiar with, made up the buildings. None of them looked like they were built, but shaped. As she got a closer look at a structure, she couldn’t see a seam in it. Magic had to be involved, somehow. As they travelled, they ascended towards a district that loomed higher over the rest of the area.

Large buildings, ostentatious and towering, grew in this district. Coloured lights decorated the buildings, highlighting the shine of precious metals infused in the walls and spires. A large wall rose before them, separating what she assumed was the noble district from the rest of the city, but they weren’t even stopped at the gate.

The traffic was lighter in this area, and everyone she could see was well dressed, and moving with an air of import. One thing she did notice was that even within the nobility, there wasn’t a specific race that outnumbered the rest. It seemed to be an even mix of Vulhardrin, Thrundol, Humans, Indol, and Bultrong. She saw a Grrn or two, but they didn’t seem to care for clothes, so she wasn’t sure of their station.

As they traveled, she also noticed some mounted travellers as well. Most used horses, or some variation, but in the more wealthy district, she spied a griffon, the proud creature prancing along the cobbles as it went.

“Holy fuck, Kat, that’s a griffon!” Ann exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

“What? Where?” Rosalyn asked, nearly knocking her over in her excitement to see the creature.

“Well, at least ye won’t seem out o’ place bein’ excited about tha’,” Kat laughed. “The military has its own division o’ griffin riders. Might be able tae get us a chance tae meet one.”

Ann’s wagging tail smacked repeatedly into Rosalyn as the excited duo craned their necks to watch the creature as it turned a corner and left their view. “Oh, I can’t wait to see more of this place,” Ann said, sitting back down and pulling Rosalyn into her lap. The smaller woman protested for a moment, but decided to just accept her fate of a warm hug.

Bren and Kat just smiled at the two, clearly enjoying the fresh perspective on things they were used to.

“Ah, we’re ‘ere,” Kat announced, glancing out the window.

The castle itself loomed before them. It was literally carved into the mountain. The facade they were entering was formed to look like a standard wall with towers, crenellations, and eyelets for guards to watch from. Where the wall would normally drop off on the other side, there was instead a face of stone wall. This was decorated with the appearance of an impressive keep, festooned with towers and spires that were not actually there. Amber enchanted crystals were placed in windows, giving the illusion of life within the picture.

The gate they entered was a metal Ann had never seen before. Lustrous and silvery, but definitely not steel. It bore numerous decorations, but she could tell it made the structure no less functional as a defence if needed.

They were driven into a grand courtyard with a stone water feature at the centre, surrounded by a grassy garden. The wings of the palace surrounded the courtyard, ringing the open area with several entrances, alleys off to other areas, and open spaces. The place was massive, labyrinthine, and overwhelming even to Ann.

“Her highness, Princess Katlyn Farragher has returned!” the Guard Captain declared as they slowed to a stop.

The door was thrown open for them, and they were greeted by a gathering of servants. “This way, highness,” an older man gestured, guiding them all out of the carriage.

Following his lead, they exited and were whisked away into one of the side buildings. “Her royal majesty, the queen, wishes to speak with you as quickly as possible. She does, however, understand that your summons was unexpected and expedient. She has allowed for an hour to get yourselves prepared.”

“How kind,” Kat grumbled under her breath.

They were shown to a set of rooms. Ann and Rosalyn were assigned to guest rooms, while Kat and Bren were ushered to their personal quarters.

Ann’s room was, frankly, fucking fancy. It was white, so white it kind of hurt to look at. Gold trim decorated the place in thankfully tasteful quantities, while the floors were made of dark woods and stone. Soft carpets covered the floor near the large four poster bed situated at one side of the bedroom. A vanity was set up next to it, already stocked with perfumes and makeup, something Ann had no need of. There wasn’t a bath or anything like that, which she’d honestly expected, but she guessed there was some other custom in play for that.

Her things were waiting for her. Clothes were already arranged in an armoire, and her black dress set out on the bed. The hat was put away, but she could get it if needed. She wondered if she was expected to wear the dress, but decided against it. Maybe some servant had set it out, assuming she’d like to be all dressed up for a meeting with the queen.

Sighing, Ann paced for a minute, taking a look out the window, which only gave her a view of a smaller courtyard with a gazebo at its center. Despite the insanity of the money around her, she found herself quickly bored, pacing back and forth in her quiet room. She did a set of pushups, started hopping around and doing little acrobatic exercises. Eventually, she ran out of those and paced again.

Finally, not able to contain herself, she opened the door, only to find Rosalyn there with a servant at her side.

“Oh! I was coming to see you. I was feeling kinda lonely and didn’t want to be lonely so I asked this nice lady and she said it was fine if we waited together, so I guess I’m here.”

Ann laughed and pulled the Druid inside. “I was about to come to you. It’s been, what, half an hour and I’m bored as fuck. Needed someone to at least talk to.”

“At least,” Rosalyn agreed, looking around the room. “Same set up I have in my room. Interesting. I guess this is standard for guests of royalty? This room could probably feed my village for years with all the wealth poured into it. Different worlds, huh?” She plopped herself down on the bed, sprawling herself and staring up at the ceiling. “Ever think you’d be in a place like this?”

“Hell no,” Ann giggled. “I was barely making ends meet before I got, uh, here, and even with help from my parents, I barely got nice stuff. This is just insane.”

“Right? Like, look at that mirror. That’s real silver! That costs more than my entire house!”

“Starting to think I understand why Kat doesn’t like all this, after seeing how she lives,” Ann said, laying down next to her girlfriend. “Something about this whole scene just doesn’t fit her vibe.”

“Sorry, don’t know what vibe means. To vibrate?” Rosalyn asked, rolling over on to her side, facing Ann.

“Slang from my time. It means their general way of being. How they feel as a person. She ever feel like she’d have shit like this?” Ann asked, waving at the room.

“I mean, I knew she did, ‘cause she’s a princess, but no, not really. I mean, you all camp out in the wilderness all the time and she seems happy with that. She seemed really comfortable in the Association rooms and that bar. I dunno, just, yeah, not her ‘vibe’.” Rosalyn said, speaking her mind as it came to her.

“Right. Also, just getting really nervous about meeting her parents,” Ann admitted. “I don’t think it really set in that I’m literally fucking a princess, before a few minutes ago. That, and that means I’m involved with her family to some extent. The rulers of this entire country are about to meet me and learn that I’m dating their daughter, and she’s dating us. What the fuuuuuck,” Ann groaned, covering her eyes and kicking her legs as her anxiety spiked.

Rosalyn took one of Ann’s hands, pulling it to her chest, and squeezing it gently. “Hey, you think you’re worried? You’re new to all this and all super important with the Orenous thing. Me? I’m some peasant from the outskirts. Literally a nobody. How’s that all going to go down? I know Kat doesn’t care, but her mom and dad might. I’m so terrified I’m shaking,” Rosalyn said, letting out a shaky laugh.

Ann gripped her, holding her hand as she felt the trembles. On a whim, she pulled the sheep woman on top of her, and wrapped her arms around her. She didn’t say anything, but buried her face in Rosalyn’s wooly hair, taking a deep breath.

Rosalyn, whose face was now firmly buried in Ann’s chest, did the same. They stayed there for a while, alternating deep breaths, focusing on each other’s scent and trying to calm down.

“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, and kinda went on instinct, but what’s the whole manners deal with your horns?” Ann asked, trying to think of literally anything else besides the looming meeting.

“Oh? Right, yeah. So, generally most Vulhardrin don’t appreciate strangers touching things like their horns or ears for obvious reasons. Me specifically? Well, if it’s you or Kat I don’t think I mind. Like I’ve said before, it’s a bit of a calming habit I’ve got to hold on to them, so I tend to do it a lot. You or Kat doing that would be more, um, intimate is the best word. I guess it doesn’t always have to be sexual, but you two, mom and dad are the only ones I’d trust doing that. Make sense?”

“I think so. So if you were freaking out, and I just did this,” Ann grabbed one of Rosalyn’s horns firmly, “that’d help?” She watched as the Druid tried to repress a shudder, her body tensing.

“I… um, maybe. Maybe I’m a bit more used to you two doing that in a different context, so at least it’s distracting?” she stammered.

Giggling, Ann released the bony appendage. “Yeah, probably want to save that as a last resort.”

A knock at their door startled both of them. Rolling off the bed, Ann opened the door, Rosalyn following close behind her.

“It is time,” Bren announced, beckoning for them to follow.