she's an anomaly, and they can't help but be infatuated with her.
NO SMUT OR SEXUALIZING ━ if any of the triplets are uncomfortable with this fanfiction, it will be taken down immediately.
matt sturniolo x fem! oc x chris sturniolo (LOVE TRIANGLE)
l...
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𝖝𝖝𝖎𝖛. Stronger Than Both
BY THE TIME the boat docks at the western bank and they're back on land, night has long since fallen. At home, this means shutting down the power and going to sleep, but not in Archeon. If anything, the city seems to brighten while the rest of the world goes dark. Fireworks crackle overhead, raining light down on the Bridge, and atop Whitefire, as a red-and-black flag rises. The king is back on his throne, and he wants the whole city to know.
Thankfully, there are no more pageants for Maeve to suffer through; they're greeted by armored transports to take them up from the docks. To the Deuveux's delight, Chris and her have a transport to themselves, joined by only two Sentinels. He points out landmarks as they pass, explaining what seems like every statue and every street corner. He even mentions his favorite bakery, though it sits on the other side of the river. Maeve finds it incredibly endearing.
"The Bridge and East Archeon are for civilians, the common Silvers, though many are richer than some nobles."
"Common Silvers?" she almost laughs. "There's such a thing?"
Chris simply shrugs. "Of course. They're merchants, businessmen, soldiers, officers, shop owners, politicians, land barons, artists, and intellectuals. Some marry into High Houses, some rise above their station, but they don't have noble blood, and their abilities aren't as, well, powerful."
Not everyone is special. Axel said that to Maeve once. She didn't know he meant Silvers too.
"Meanwhile, West Archeon is for the court of the king," Chris continues. They pass a street lined with lovely stone houses and pruned, flowering trees. "All the High Houses keep residences here, to be close to the king and government. In fact, the entire country can be controlled from this cliff, if the need should arise."
That explains the location. The western bank is sharply sloped, with the palace and the other government buildings sitting at the crest of a hill overlooking the Bridge. Another wall surrounds the hilltop, fencing in the heart of the country. Maeve tries her best not to gawk when they pass through the gate, revealing a tiled square the size of an arena. Chris calls it Caesar's Square, after the first king of his dynasty. Cedric mentioned King Caesar before, but fleetingly; his and Maeve's lessons never got much farther than the First Divide, when red and silver became much more than colors.
Whitefire Palace occupies the southern side of the Square, while the courts, treasury, and administrative centers take up the rest. There's even a military barracks, judging by the troops drilling in the walled yard. They are Matt's Shadow Legion, who traveled ahead of them to the city. A comfort to the nobles, Chris called them. Soldiers within the walls, to protect them if another attack should come.
