The Point of A Dagger

Sixteen

The Grand Palace in Azore was just that, grand. It had always amazed me, everytime I visited, and this time was no different.

We could see it the second we emerged from the grassy hills, landing on the western coast of the Forgotten Sea. The water here was crystal blue, clear enough to see the kelp that grew and the fish that swam near the surface. It is very different from the coast of Plora, where the water is a darker blue, and cold, and anyone hardly ever swims in it. Here, children were playing in the small waves that crashed on the sandy shore, and other, more daring folk, swam out further on rafts.

As the carriage rattled down along the coast, the dirt road bumpy, occasionally leading off towards small villages, I watched the castle atop the rocks grow.

The Grand Palace was made of three towers, the size colossal. Each tower was built upon rock that climbed toward the sky. They each blended into the rock, made of a tan stone, while vines wrapped around each tower. And connecting each one lay three closed bridges.

To reach the towers, the carriage turns off onto a stone road, twisting around the towers, up the hill behind it, where another bridge lowers to let us through. I watch in awe at the houses of greens, blues, and tans blending together, creating the Land of Thunder.

"I had no idea it was this... mystical," Griffin says, staring out the window as well.

"You've never been?" I ask, speaking to him directly for the first time in a day. He shoots me a look which tells me the answer.

"They aren't afraid it will crumble?" he asks, gazing at the rocks that hold the towers. Around the base of each one, little towns have formed, pushing all the way to the edge of the flat. As we climb the hill, people begin to come into view, carts strolling around, children running around.

"The Grand Palace was built by Terros himself. He used his magic to bind the rock. They aren't going anywhere," I promise him.

As we reach the bridge at the hill, the view makes me pause for a moment. The Forgotten Sea glitters beyond the Grand Palace, lighting up the contrasted stone. Vines curling around the towers seem more vibrant, and the cotton clouds seem close enough to touch. As we move over the bridge, the ground is immensely far away, lush plants growing beneath it. Azore, the Land of Thunder, is teeming with life.

The carriage stops as guards approach us, immediately waving us through once they see Ronan. Some wave to us, while others simply offer smiles. As we stroll through the town surrounding the first tower, villages begin to flock to us, greeting me. I wave out the window, offering a broad smile.

The carriage twists through the streets, climbing a small hill, before reaching the front gates of the tower, which swing wide open for us. The space from the gates to the grand doors is short, and we are stepping into the Azorian heat in no time.

"Behave. Please," I tell Griffin, smiling at Nalise and Rion, standing on the top steps leading to the doors of the tower which towers above us, casting a shadow.

Rion wears traditional Azorian clothing with his gold crown, while Nalise wears a gold gown with a deep v-neck and puff sleeves. In her arms, wrapped in a tan bundle, Nalise holds her son, Prince Andres.

"Cass!" Nalise exclaims, a smile blooming on her face as she hands Andres to Rion, rushing me with open arms. I take her body in mine, smelling the ocean and thunderstorms. "I've missed you," she says, sighing in relief, probably that I arrived here safely.

"I've missed you too," I say, hugging her tighter before letting go. It was five months ago when I last saw the king and queen of Azore, just after Andres was born. Those memories, here in the Grand Palace, were some of my happiest. Now, I'm afraid they will be tainted by this trip."I'm so sorry, Lise." She shakes her head, looking at me.