On The Mountain - (On Hold)

Glitter Without The Sun

As they entered the castle, Arthur took in every bit of detail. The outside view hadn't been very eye catching. It was plain, something you wouldn't expect of a castle the king lived in. The inside wasn't much different. Arthur had at least expected there to be one rug woven in gold. He had thought that there would be gold or silver embellishments and patterns engraved into the walls, or even some small trinket made out of the precious metals. There was no carpet on the floor and the walls were purely made out of stone and concrete, just like the village houses. It was the most basic a castle could get.

The girl in front of him looked back every once in a while to make sure he was still following, and Arthur couldn't help but smile at her every time she did.

The guard, who was still following closely behind, quickly walked up to the girl as soon as she asked him to as if she was as high as the queen or princess herself. The guard nodded his head at whatever she had told or asked of him, taking the letter and walking off into the shadows of the long hallways that encircled the palace. There were hallways everywhere, every twist and turn, going off into darkness because of the unlit torches.

Once the guard was long gone, the girl ushered him into what looked like the library, full of old and dusty books of all sorts. The books were stacked on looming bookshelves that reached the ceilings, and Arthur wondered how anyone could have even managed to put them up there.

"What is your name?" a faint and shy voice asked him, and Arthur almost missed the question. It was the girl, and he felt overly conscious as she gazed intently at him.

"Uh... Arthur, you?" It was embarrassing, especially since he already started liking the girl, and though she probably wouldn't ever think of doing anything to him, it was hard for Arthur to fully trust someone, considering his life in the cheap, thieving valley.

"Oh um, my name is-"

The girl was cut off by the clanking of boots just outside the door. A tall man appeared in the doorway, holding the letter in his hand. He looked very humble, with a long beard hiding the top of his robe, and gentle eyes, glittering even though there was no sunlight.

"Sir Arthur, this is the king."