Veil of The Sun

Chapter III: Bandan

On the pretty roads of Neela clopped two horses, pulling a noble carriage behind them. The carriage was unmistakably that of a Noble's yet the emblem was not very recognizable. It carried Prince Bandan and his knight Kavya, both in disguise so as to hide their status. The carriage exchange had gone smoothly enough. Now, there was one last hurdle before their vacation could truly start. The carriage approached the palace gates with a gentle stop.

"Ahh we're finally here!" Bandan's smile suddenly turned sour, "Oh, right... but we have to get through the palace security... In disguise.."

Bandan had taken off any jewelery that was overly ostentatious for anyone who wasn't royalty. He looked less like a prince and more like a very rich noble man, which didn't excite him very much. Bandan loved looking glorious after all...

"Ahh... What a pain!" Bandan grumbled, massaging his neck, "From now onwards... My name will be...Vikram!"

"Shh! Prince. Now isn't the time to complain," Kavya told off Bandan, "Someone's approaching the carriage!"

Four guards approached the carriage with their swords still in their sheathes. They didn't seem to want to cause a scene as they were expressly told not to cause a scandal that could take away attention from the ball. If there was a problem, they were told to discreetly take care of it.

"Excuse us," One of the guards said as they attempted to talk to the carriage's riders, "Could you state your name so that we may see if you are on the list?"

One of the drivers of the carriage got off his seat and made his way to the carriage doors. He opened it slightly so that Bandan could talk to the guards and explain himself. Bandan coughed slightly into his palm before straightening his back. He felt somewhat nervous. He had no idea if Mahendra had really done what he promised he would. Bandan would prefer it if he did but he also did not know if he could really trust his brother.

"Hello, good sirs. I am a noble from the Pandhara empire," Bandan explained, " You should have received notice that I would be arriving from the palace."

"A noble from Pandhara...? That could only be the sir Vikram... The Golden Knight, himself, sent a personal letter regarding your arrival!" The guard said, suddenly straightening his back. The power and authority The Golden Knight held even in a foreign kingdom was nothing to sneeze at. It was immense considering Mahendra was technically still just a prince, though some argue he might as well be a king.

Mainly because the prince received an excess amount of respect and influence that rivaled even a king's at times. It was difficult to escape. In twenty five short years, Mahendra made a name for himself across the whole of Prithvi Mata.

"We are so sorry for holding you up, sir!" The guard said before motioning the other guards to stand away and let the man through.

"We wish you a pleasant visit!"

The carriage driver closed the carriage door and went back to his seat. Prince Bandan smirked and layed back in his seat, nonchalantly.

"Well, thank god that guy did his job properly. I was worried he wouldn't," He said crossing his legs in leisure. His trip could finally finally start without interference.

"Honestly, me too. I guess whatever scheming he has going on doesn't involve us, thankfully," Kavya said before quickly correcting herself, "Not us. You. I only said us because if you end up getting killed, it means I've probably died first."

"How considerate of you..." Bandan raised an eyebrow at Kavya's comment.

The two continued their journey, the rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels creating a soothing cadence as they approached the Behar Palace of Neela. The palace was huge and full of intricate carvings down to the very minute detail. Bandan, seeing this, could only imagine the amount of artisans needed to create such a beautiful palace. The skills needed to finish it would require decades of study. With a final jolt, the carriage came to a halt directly in front of the entrance.A footman, dressed in the palace's distinguished colors, stepped forward with practiced efficiency. He opened the carriage door, the polished brass handle glinting in the sunlight.