Louis felt himself become breathless. He collapsed into an armchair beside the coffee table.
"Told you the day was going to be a lot crazier," Blaze said laughing.
"Now, now Blaise. You are making poor Louis even more dishevelled. But yes, my child, your world is not done being 'flipped'."
"So, you really expect me to believe all this. That I'm some kind of preternatural royalty? Really?" Louis said with a sigh.
"Whether you choose to believe now or not, you surely will later. Hurry up now, we have a few chores to carry out before the sun goes down. I want to show you Stellenburg and a little bit of Stellenheim if possible. This will be your home from now on."
Louis looked dumbfoundedly at Blaze who nodded approvingly back at him.
The woman suddenly turned towards the doors and without looking, flicked her wrist in Louis' direction in a beckoning motion. He rose from the chair involuntarily and his legs moved by their own accord in the direction of Prisca, Blaze following closely behind. As she approached the double doors, they suddenly swung open again and the guards of earlier addressed all of them with a slight bow of their heads.
The hallway they entered was the largest one Louis had ever been in. Like the room they had just exited, gold was a recurring theme but it was expertly combined with polished ceramic. The dated furniture blended in smoothly with the grand corridor's aesthetic. As they walked through the room, he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful paintings and statues spread across the hallway. They all stared back at him, blinking mindlessly and Louis jumped, startled.
"Worry not, my child. You will get used to it," the woman chuckled.
The numerous servants they came across, curtsied and bowed accordingly as the trio of royalty walked through the vast hall.
They got to a large fountain in the middle of the hall. Vibrant, colourful streams of liquid shot out of the hyper-realistic marble statue at the centre of the fountain. The statue depicted a dragon spouting the colourful liquid from its orfices, to a little boy with his hands cupped. As they arrived, the statue suddenly came to life and the boy waved at Prisca.
"The little boy you see in this statue is the fabled pioneer of Stellenheim. Legend says as a child, he was brave enough to stand up to an old dragon and as a reward for his courage (the elderly dragon knew it was past its time) instructed the little boy to consume its blood when it drained itself of it. This magical plasma granted the boy extraordinary levels of physical and magical strength and prowess. As he grew older, he fought in wars, conquered lands and amassed many followers. Even some dragons respected him for his amazing feats of magic. He always visited the grave of the old dragon and it is said that is where he built Stellenburg, his castle, so he would be even closer to the soul of the dragon. His followers settled in the land surrounding the castle and he named it Stellenheim which very loosely translates to 'Home of the Provider' as an ode to his Germanic origins. Stellenheim has long since become a part of Dragordia and Stellenburg, a part of the Royal Property but this place is still very sacred to the 'Stellenites'."
"I'm guessing Dragordia is your...kingdom? Are you a Stellenite? And what was this boy's name?" Louis asked intrigued. Now, this was what fascinated him even after the events of today. Maybe it was because he didn't expect a mere statue to possess so much lore but he was looking forward to hearing more of what Prisca had to say.
"Yes, the 'kingdom' is indeed Dragordia. Although it is so vast I would not even call it an empire. We don't have a collective term for our monarchy here but we go by 'kingdom' anyway. I am no Stellenite and these days those who are, are not known by that name but my maternal grandmother was. Her father (my great-grandfather) served in the Stellenburg court before it became known as Dragordia North-West Prime and our Dragons took a hold of it. It is one of the last of territories to be amalgamated-"
"I believe the Stellenheim's leader was known by his peers as Alaric," Blaze who had been quiet for so long suddenly interjected. "Quite the ladies' man he was too, I heard."
Prisca glared at the deadpan expression of Blaze while Louis stifled a chuckle. This old lady really liked to talk.
"Be very careful, Blaise."
She proceeded to give Louis a complete tour of the castle. He saw flying pieces of furniture, entered the numerous rooms that were scattered all over the castle, and he listened to whatever his grandmother had to say.
After finishing the tour, they stood in front of Stellenburg's main entrance. Queen Prisca faced the doors and a slight smile escaped from her lips.
"Immediately after I married your grandfather, his father gifted me Stellenburg as my private home and I was the ceremonial head of the local 'Stellenites'. I became Duchess-Prime of the North-West and had partial control over this territory. As is the custom here for Queens-to-be. It is my home, through and through."
Feeling a bit overwhelmed with emotions, the woman suddenly straightened her posture and cleared her misty eyes.
"That's great and all but what does any of this have to do with me? I still don't know why you've appeared in my dreams or why you know about my family or...or why statues wave at me. You say it's magic but I still don't understand. You need to explain. Please," Louis remarked.
She stared pointedly at him for a few seconds. This made Louis uneasy and Blaze could sense that so he coughed.
"Your mind does not agree with your heart, my child. I do suppose you need a brief history of what this all is and why you are here. Nevertheless, we cannot stand around and discuss here. You will be attending a private show at the Theatre of Mystics with us this evening. We need to get you prepared and properly dressed for the occasion, so a little haste will be required. I will tell you what you need to know while you get ready."