𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 | 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙓 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

𝘊𝘩𝘱𝘵. 2: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺

ACT I: Chapter Two

The Silver Knight spent the whole night helping with the preparations.

They were tired after going on what may have been a wild goose chase searching for the Prince in Latissa. Their fatigue only turned into exhaustion when they helped set up tables, chairs, decorations, and the stage where the King and the Prince would be seated at the front of the ballroom.

During the waking hours of the morning, they sat against the wall in a corner as the servants working day shift came in and picked up where the night shift workers left off. Unfortunately, they were behind on setting up as the order of new table linens arrived much later than expected.

Y/N did their best to keep their heavy eyes open but ultimately, couldn't help letting their eyelids fall. It'll only be for a minute, just enough to get myself together, they assured themselves.

Not a second later, they were conked out on the floor snoring.

They were eventually woken up from their brief nap by a group of palace scouts who needed their help to hang up some large banners.

The tables were decorated with white and red table cloth, the centerpieces were large and grand vases of exotic and eye-catching flowers. Big tapestries hung from the wall detailing different positions of the Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard Ceremony, though only open to higher-class families who received an invitation, would be broadcast across the Boiling Isles. The ceremony awarded any of those working under the Royal Guard and commemorated the efforts of brave palace scouts, and castle officials, and sometimes gave out outstanding citizen awards. The King was usually the one presenting the awards to the officials, however, in the Silver Knight's case, their award was given to them by the prince.

In a state of brain fog, Y/N and the rest of the palace workers finally finished setting up the ballroom. Once Lilith Clawthorne gave her approval of the setup, the workers were dismissed to get ready for the ceremony.

The ceremony would be commencing in about a few hours or so. Regardless, Y/N couldn't help but notice the amount of guests already touring the royal gardens from their window. Griffins and other beast-drawn carriages were already flooding the skies and ground alike. Sometimes it seemed like rich people had nothing better to do but attend whatever high-class event was going on that evening.

Redirecting their attention to their wardrobe, they decided on a less scuffed and clean version of their regular uniform. The armor had recently been polished giving it a brand new type of glint in the light. As they slipped on their freshly washed clothes, they inhaled the lingering scent of the soap from the laundry rooms. The scent was nostalgic and reminded them of the countless afternoons spent washing loads after loads of clothing with their father.

Finally, after getting their hair just right and covering any signs of exhaustion with the perfect amount of makeup, the Silver Knight was ready for the Royal Guard ceremony.

A few minutes into the event Y/N could barely stay conscious. Barely aware of their surroundings, every time someone spoke to them they would only stare back with a perplexed face and say, "Huh?"

The Silver Knight was not the only one battling an extreme case of fatigue, however. The morale of the palace staff seemed particularly low this year.

The ballroom was filled with various wealthy families from across the Isles. Elves and demons decked out in their finest clothing danced to the live music on the balcony above while others sat at the tables waiting for the food to be served.

Towards the front of the ballroom, closest to the stage, long rectangular tables were filled up by palace scouts, captains, and advisors.

On the stage, two velvet cushioned thrones sat in front of long draping maroon curtains.