Divine Ascension

Chapter 7 - The Royal Council

The following day, Maria Thorne had to go to the Obscurian royal palace for a meeting, and not just any meeting. It was a fateful meeting that would determine the kingdom's course of action concerning the kidnapping of Melinda Grey, which was a humiliation they couldn't stand. She would have to converse not only with the Royal Council but also the royal family themselves, which to her was quite daunting. She felt there were many things they would disagree on, and she couldn't bear the burden of not contributing enough either. 

Still, she had to try. On that morning, during which the beautiful landscape full of pines, roses, and songbirds was shrouded in mist like a graveyard, a carriage arrived in front of her house at exactly eight o'clock. She'd previously failed to notify her husband of this, and that it'd mean he'd have to look after their children for probably the entire day, so she slipped a note at the front door before dashing off in hot pursuit.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she entered the carriage. She waited impatiently in the deathly silence, fidgeting with her fingers and glancing everywhere to distract herself from the infinite boredom of it all. The carriage was lovely, what with its pristine white walls and nice purple cushions and everything, but it was also the messenger of something she preferred unspoken, a dark new age that taunted everyone and wouldn't let go, which was only just beginning. Truly, she felt suffocated by it all.

She was so absorbed by her overwhelming pessimistic thoughts that she hardly noticed when the carriage stopped in front of the palace. The horses slowed down for a moment, ending their movement with a brief slam of the wheels, and then nothing happened for the following few seconds, as if she were frozen in time.

"Madam Thorne, we have arrived at our destination. You may get out now. Thank You and goodbye," the chauffeur said suddenly, prompting her to nod and leave, walking carefully out of the carriage so that she wouldn't fall into the nearby mud, proceeding to hasten her pace shortly after when the coast had become clear, after which she was left alone.

At that moment, everything sank in. She stood lonely and desolate in front of all the majesty that the royal palace represented. A tall silver fence with formidable spikes on top, whose gate was guarded by a pair of stern-looking guards, contained a marvellous rose garden that surrounded the awe-inspiring structure that had been standing there for almost a whole millennium, its splendour never diminished by war and all the destruction it wrought. 

The building sprouted into the sky as if it were trying to reach the secrets of existence itself, consisting of white marble walls that were known for shining wonderfully in the sunlight, now standing in defiance of dull shadows that sought to undermine them. It had many stained glass windows whose frescos depicted praised ancient symbols of Obscuria, but mostly roses. Roses were everywhere in and around the palace. 

They were the flower of the nation, displaying its grace and elegance and thorny defences to all, but now the symbols had begun to fade, same as the nation's pride and its magic. It was harrowing to observe how life faded, but there was no time for rumination or other such nonsense. If she didn't hurry, she would be late, which at the moment would be the worst of inconveniences.

And just as she prepared to set foot inside, the Prince himself called her. "Good morning, Madam Thorne. Please come in. We have no time to waste."

With a solemn nod, she took his hand as he closed the tall black door that led into the palace. Glancing in his direction, she noticed that, instead of his usual princely robes, he wore a dark purple uniform complimented by a black and silver tie, along whose sides were lined numerous medals he'd won for protecting his country. His face was as serious as his attire, so she supposed that he really wanted to establish that these were trying times he would do his best to take care of. Her own attire wasn't that impressive - a plain brown dress under a black overcoat that matched her tall black boots - but it didn't matter. What mattered at the moment was that they weren't late.