IV. The Impact of Her

~ Five ~

At the foot of the entry staircase, Gonzalo held the door open as he waited by the carriage.

Gonzalo has returned to his calm and refined self. But, underneath that silent exterior, I could tell that he was still opposed to my cause. Gonzalo was everything but a good liar, especially when it came to traditions and law.

"I sense that Gonzalo is starting to dislike us," I whispered into Elizabeth's ear as we made our way down the stairs.

For a moment, Elizabeth looked at Gonzalo. With a smile, she replied, "I prefer to be hated than to be loved for agreeing to everything that this world led us to believe is right."

"You don't do the same when it comes to James, though?" I smirked."

"That is a different matter, Robert," said Elizabeth as she playfully pinched my arm.

"That hurts, Elizabeth," I winced as I rubbed the pinched area. I moved a few spaces away from her and added, "With all honesty, I prefer to be punched rather than to be pinched."

"My apologies, little brother," Elizabeth giggled as she held onto my arm. "I promise I will not do it again... unless it is absolutely necessary," she winked.

I turned to Elizabeth with wide eyes, which made her laugh.

As we approached the carriage, everybody took their bow.

"Guards," Elizabeth called for their attention, "I need five of you to accompany us to the Crystal Palace. Two of you shall stand behind the carriage and three will ride alongside it," she instructed.

"Summon three of your best riders immediately," I added.

Two of them nodded and to the guards' keep.

"Your Grace–" Gonzalo approached Elizabeth, only to be interrupted by her.

"As for you, Gonzalo, you will accompany us as well," Elizabeth continued as she moved closer to him. She stood in front of him, face to face. And not once did she remove her gaze from the startled Gonzalo. "You will be in the carriage with us. Do I make myself clear?"

"But–" Gonzalo was about to reply. But, the longer he stared at Elizabeth, he quickly realised that she would not accept any more opposition to her orders. Cornered, he simply nodded and gave way for us to enter the carriage.

As soon as the carriage door was closed, three guards rode towards us. They stopped in front of Elizabeth's window and gave their salute. "Your Grace, we are at your beck and call."

"Very good," Elizabeth nodded. "Now, we must be on our way."

The chauffeur gave the horses the signal to run.

Elizabeth smiled at me in assurance. But, Gonzalo kept his head low. HIs eyes were glued to the floor of the carriage.

I looked out the window and watched as we passed the gates, as well as every tree. I was also trying to keep myself calm amidst all the chaos that was happening around me.

I took deep breaths in and kept Laura's smile in my mind, enough to fuel my desire to get her back safely.

~*~*~*~

As we entered the gates of the Crystal Palace, we were welcomed with open arms.

Every prophet, every servant gave us their salute and even pointed us to the proper directions towards the Crystal Hall.

As we were led by one of the servants to the Sacred Hall, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty and the radiance of this palace. Their roofs were made of glass. It allowed the light of the sun to enter the elongated halls of this magnificent floating palace. The walls were painted white. Sacred statues of the ancient gods and ancestors paraded in between pillars. The corners of the room were covered with golden linings, the only splash of colour.