~ ASH ~
We stood outside the Palace's main staircase, the wide, grand entrance that was built to intimidate and impress. But there was only one carriage—though it was gilded in gold, painted scarlet between, and needed a team of six to draw it—along with a handful of guards on horseback spread wide around it. Servants came and went, bringing large trunks to load to the back and top of the carriage, but they kept their eyes and heads down.
