They approached the colossal, wrought iron gates, topped with tall, dagger sharp spires, by midnight. Heidi, hooded in a crimson velvet cloak, sat silently in the back of the Rebel's mundane looking black van, puffy eyes empty and dried tears coating her cheeks. Flanked on either side by Silas and Luka, Luka sat closer than Heidi was comfortable with and shifted to the side, only to be pressed a against Silas, who invoked a burning furnace of hate in her.
"Leave the girl alone will you Luka?" he ordered, growing tiresome of his foolish advances.
Grumbling, Luka shifted away from Heidi, pressing his back against the wall of the van, arms crossed, his lips in a childish pout.
The van halted, and they heard voices outside. They seemed to be conversing with Guy, who was driving the van.
"State your business."
"We've come here on behalf of the Rebels to discuss the peace treaty."
"Identification?"
"Guy Woudsoar."
After a brief silence, they hear the gates creak open, and the van began crunching over the gravel at a sluggish pace.
The van stopped again, and the humming engine shut off.
Footsteps approached the back doors of the van, and Jaiden pulled them open, black clad guards either side. They file out silently, and then are lead to a small, polished, silver bomb shelter like structure, adorned with a panel, and a scanner pad.
One of the guards approached the scanner, removing a glove, he presses his wrist on to it. A small mechanical click meets their ears, and the panel collapses into itself, and a platform made of the same materials as the walls rises up.
They shuffle on to the platform and it begins it's descent. Heidi looks up at the panel replacing itself to it's original position, the last of her hopes dissipating.
They zoom past several golden plaques with engraved numbers. 120...80...30...
The platform slows to a halt at level 3. The doors push out and to the side, unfolding a floor of polished golden marble, that reflects in the reflective ceiling, from which a grand chandelier hangs, the gems slightly tinted all the colours of the spectrum, basking the room in a colourful glow. Situated right in the middle of the room, is a slab of the same marble as the floor, behind which a petite young woman with pale flaxen hair that reflected the colours of the chandelier in an ethereal way, guarded another set of grand double doors.
Heidi was awestruck. It was something that she couldn't even conjure up in her wildest dreams.
The girl and the guards had a brief exchange, though her piercing blue glare was trained on Luka, who glared right back.
She slid closed a panel over a large screen, which appeared to be a map of the establishment, and strolled over to the doors and pushed them open, revealing a more discreet room than the previous, yet still outstandingly grand.
The walls are clear, yet they do not reflect, nor do they reveal what lies outside them. The floor is carpeted crimson and holds a large, yet simple oval table.
The girl stood next to the table and clapped her hands twice, after which several leather stools appeared around the table.
Turning around she began to speak, "I am Laria, Head of Security here at Headquarters, I am aware of your business here and would like to ask your leader to step forward."
Silas nudged to the front from his place in the back.
"Very well, please seat yourself on one of the stools and the Head of Warfare and National Security will join you shortly, as will the King's proxy, I am afraid King Paladorius is away for business, but is expected to return tommorow. The rest of you may leave, or be seated in our guest lounge room." she explains with a plastered smile.
