Tara was listless the whole time she was speaking, almost heaving in the act of reciting a story in one breath. Après her revelation, she stabilized her respiration right away, not minding the reactions of her associates.
Meanwhile, letting the interior of the carriage be devoured by silence was not a purposive arrangement of its passengers, owing to their lack of an appropriate response. Mikhail, Sarakiel, and Zelel's head went blank along with the emergence of a portion of the Empress' unsung memoir.
Only when the equipage came to a shrieking halt in front of a palace, that could barely pass as a royal's residence, did the quietude vacate the space.
"My Lords, we have arrived at the Soltis Palace. Allow me to lead the way." Tara announced.
Having her priorities sorted out, she quickly alighted the ride, turning to her back once she's on the ground.
"My Lords, time is of the essence." She put more strength in her tone to instil the gravity of the situation to her unresponsive companions.
Fortunately, her utterance woke them from their reverie, and the three men promptly deplaned the carriage. Immediately upon their descent, they scrutinized the surroundings of the palace, frowning at its modesty. The discontent stemmed from their belief that the Empress deserved nothing less than what the Emperor has, being that they're now aware of her circumstances.
The gentlemen had yet to grasp her character, so it would be presumptuous of them to label her with a preconceived notion. Withal, they judged that the Empress' reluctance in exposing herself to the public was not because of a self-willed impropriety, but to elude the pity of the people. That reality by itself convinced them that she did not deliberately covet to elicit the incertitude among the populace as a result of her prolonged absence.
Tara began to walk towards the entryway, certain that the fellows would trail the path that she paved. In a couple of seconds, she reached the entrance, instantly knocking on the door to signal their landing. The sound of hurried footsteps was heard crossing the wooden floor on the other side, ending when a maid opened their access to the mansion.
"Welcome to the Soltis Palace, My Lords. I am Sura Kishnar, one of the Empress' handmaidens." Sura greeted the first-time visitors. Despite her celerity, the maid's mien displayed no lapse in her composure.
Ahead of confronting their guests, the twins gave each other a look and nodded.
"Esteemed Lords, we are going to enumerate the rules that you ought to heed during your tarry in this palace. Rule one, what happens here should remain in the memories of solely those who are present, unless it is to be reported to His Majesty, the Emperor."
"Rule two, you are permitted to demand rejoinders to your queries from us, though we will be selective in which questions to answer. Last rule, the Empress' safety takes precedence over anything else in the event that a threat arises."
"Inculcate into your minds that breaking any of these rules is equivalent to violating Her Highness' privacy."
"We have high expectations that the Lords will respect these uncomplicated policies."
The maids bowed their heads, not as a show of respect but that they wouldn't tolerate any opposition.
It was not laborious for the trio to obey the decrees, yet for some unknown acumen, they seemed to be stifled. Be that as it may, they acquiesced understandingly, even if they were a little hesitant to agree at first. Tara and Sura then peered at them, satisfied with their decision.
"Alright, let us make our way to the Empress' chambers." The twins uttered concertedly as they went on to ambulate their path.
Candles, lining the central staircase railings, were the sole source of illumination inside the palace, forasmuch as the windows were covered with crimson-red black-out curtains. Eerie was the most fitting word to describe the ambience of the place. Thankfully, that very atmosphere freed Duke Helian from his respite, abling him to focus on organizing his thoughts without any disturbance.
'A spell imitating immortality? There are already several individuals and groups who strove to acquire immortality. Nevertheless, their pursuit ended up for nought, and they either lost their lives in the process or winded up with mutilated bodies. My knowledge is limited regarding this subject. We might need His Majesty's abetment.' His speculations were piling up, drawing him to bite the nail of his thumb out of frustration.
"Ouch!" Unanticipatedly, Sarakiel whimpered when he bumped on the muscular back of Mikhail.
It appeared that their stroll had finished, seeing that their guides were at a full stop afore a passageway, situated right at the end of the corridor.
"Your Highness, we have brought the subordinates of the Emperor with us."
"Please excuse our intrusion."
Sura gently pushed the door to reveal the aperture, making sure to minimize the screeching of wood skidding on wood. Accordingly, the rest of the party followed the maid's route into the room.
The Empress' chamber was dark, save for the small area brightened by a ball of light, placed on top of the nightstand. Dazzlingly so, the luminescence gave the feeling that Her Highness was bestowed with an aureole by the holy deities.
Granted that Mikhail had a previous encounter with the Empress, his visage still resembled one of his comrade's. Upon beholding the sight of the dreaming Empress, they felt as if a lump was blocking their throats, combined with the air in their lungs diminishing by the millisecond. They were utterly awestricken of her ineffable allure that they became the most speechless they had ever been in their entire lives.
The paleness of her porcelain skin conveyed the impression that she'd evanesce together with the radiance of the Siero the moment the nine Orcuns conquered the sky. Witnessing her at peace alleviated their unease. The sensation was immensely comparable to devouring a nearly fatal dose of hallucinogens. However, the longer they linger in relishing the moment, the further that the seed of anxiety in their conscience develops.
She was embracing a serenity that was beyond the disquieting extent.