Song suggestion for this chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/7KDqtGksJeOyjxXOaQP3aw?si=cc720df1197c4444
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The royal castle in Lavia, also known as the Summer Palace, was famous for its extraordinary architecture and beautiful interior designs. It was a sprawling complex situated on a hill overlooking the sea. Amelia could hear the horn being blown as the carriage made its way up the hill, and her arrival was announced to the court.
She was incredibly nervous. Her heart was about to jump out of her ribcage. She had gotten dressed in the carriage and wore a simple yet elegant green dress.
They didn't wear corsets in Lavia and Zeles, which Amelia was very thankful for. So, the dress was tight around her chest and hips but was not suffocating her. Around her hips, the dress loosened and flowed around. Her physique allowed her to wear whatever she wanted and always look amazing.
The upper part of her hair was tied up, while the rest of her curly light-brown hair was falling down her shoulders and along her spine. The rouge on her cheeks was the only makeup she had put on, but she looked breathtaking without realizing it.
One last look at her reflection in the window confirmed her suspicion that she should look precisely like Aurora now. Her heart had stopped for a second because of the uncanny resemblance, and it was almost as if she had looked at Aurora.
Just when she was about to drift away with her thoughts, the main gate came into sight. The palace walls were impressive, and guards lined on both sides.
Once inside the first courtyard, they followed a path to another gate. There the carriage and her men stopped because the entourage of the court was standing there waiting to welcome the princess.
Amelia was overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to greet her. She worried about how she would recognize the prince for a second, but he and his family stood in the middle proud and confident. It was apparent who the royal family was.
Lucius opened the carriage doors, and he helped her get out of the wagon. She slowly stepped down and moved towards the royal family while looking around. She could see some jealous glares from some of the women. 'Ah, how troublesome…' Amelia thought to herself. Standing just two meters from the royal family, she bowed down to greet them.
King Charles was the first to speak, "Welcome, Princess Aurora, it is a pleasure to have you here at court. You must have had quite the journey behind you."
"You are too kind, King Charles. It was indeed a tiring and eventful trip. As you can see, unfortunate events have cost the lives of half the troupes guarding me on my way here."
The royal family looked at her, worried and surprised. It seemed that they were unaware of what had occurred along the way. That was good, Amelia thought to herself.
"Oh, you poor child, let's go inside so you can rest and tell us all the details of what happened."
"Thank you, Queen Patricia, for your consideration. May I ask my men to stay as my guards for now? You see, they bravely defended me and managed to get me here unharmed, and I have developed a deep appreciation and trust toward them." Amelia asked in a timid tone.
"Of course, they may." To her surprise, it was the prince who answered her question. Amelia's gaze followed his voice to look at him, and their eyes met. His blonde hair was shining under the sun. It was cut short on the sides while kept longer on the top, complimenting his manly facial structures. Most compelling though, was his steel blue eyes staring back at her.
"Shall we move to the family quarters so you can freshen up and tell us about your journey?" He said while smiling at her charmingly and then turning to his family, signaling to move back inside the palace.
His father nodded, and the royal family turned around to lead the way while everyone, including Amelia, followed them inside the main palace area. Her three guards obediently followed her, and the coachman was cared for by the servants, who also took care of the horses.
Amelia kept looking around to take in her environment. They passed through another two smaller courtyards with lush gardens.
Along the first courtyard, there had been the kitchen buildings on her right. The chambers on the left side looked lavish, so they probably belonged to high council members.
Amelia was speechless at how beautiful the palace was. She enjoyed the smell of the sea in the air. The temperature here was much more humid and warmer, with a slight breeze occasionally. This was why they could build a palace like this, which had a lot of open spaces.
It seemed the second courtyard through which they had entered a building was where the Royal Family resided. Most court members following them inside the palace stayed in the first courtyard.
The queen told her to follow her when the King and Prince entered one of the rooms. "I will show you your quarters first, my dear." Amelia quickly glanced at the prince, and seeing that he did the same, she looked away.
'What are you doing? You are not here to flirt but to find Aurora's killer. He might look handsome, but you are pretending to be someone else. So get yourself together.' Amelia scolded herself in her head. Back in Rodea, she never had eyes for the opposite gender and had only focused on her work. She didn't know what was happening to her, but suddenly meeting all these good-looking men lit up something inside her.
As they walked, the girl beside her suddenly leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I missed you, sister." It was Lucia, Lavia's princess and Prince Nathaniel's sister. She hat quietly walked beside her but couldn't keep her excitement in anymore.
Amelia looked at the innocent child next to her and smiled lovingly. "I missed you too, Lucia." She lied because she had to keep up appearances. But her gut feeling told her she would become true friends with Lucia during her time here.
After walking through the hallways for a few minutes, the queen halted before a door. "These will be your chambers. Your guards, however, are not allowed to enter unless there is an emergency."
Amelia nodded at her and gave Lucius a verifying look over her shoulder. The three men stopped next to the door where they would wait for her tour to end.
She followed the queen inside. They first entered a small room which was only the entrance leading to the actual bedroom. When they finally entered her room, Amelia's eyes widened. It was gorgeous. The windows to the terrace were open, and the white curtains were floating in the air. The bed in the middle of the room had a light wooden frame with carvings.
The ambiance in the room was peaceful and calming. There were two more doors on the right side, one leading to the bathroom and the other to her wardrobe, and it was ample space.
"Last time, this room hadn't been ready yet, but we were able to get it done in the meantime during your absence. Do you like it?" the queen asked with a charming smile.
"I love it, Queen Patricia. I am truly grateful for your efforts."
"Oh, please call me Patricia when we are alone."
"As you wish Patricia."
"Now, let me introduce you to your two maids who will care for all your needs, Rina and Lina." Two young girls bowed to Amelia. "Why don't you freshen up, and they will bring you to the living room once you are ready?"
"I would like that, thank you."
Lucia was reluctant to leave, but her mother made her. Amelia was happy to have a moment to herself in the bathroom to breathe her anxiety away. It was all surreal now that it was happening.