Seven

Chapter VI

I am speechless. Considering my personality, this is pretty impressive. I don't know what I expected to see when Mel opened that door, but definitely not this. I am currently standing in a huge ballroom. And by 'huge' I mean the size of probably three football fields. It is decorated with beautiful niches that each hold a luxurious-looking chandeliers, most likely made of crystal. The red walls compliment perfectly the elegance of the room, and through the glass ceiling I can see the shining stars and the purple-ish nocturnal sky. A set of spiraling stairs, covered with a crimson carpet, leads to a second floor. From there, you can see the entire beauty of the room. I can only imagine the grandiose balls and parties that this place witnessed over the years, and the wealth of the people that built and used it.

"This is the ballroom that the Count, and later the Countess, used for the Masquerade. Well, at least for the toast and the dancing. The entire palace was used for this event." Melody brings me back from my daydream.

"This is...huge!" Crilia says. In the back, Louis snickers a little, and she points him with a glare. Nathalie is analyzing the imposing room with her arhitectural knowledge that I assume she possesses.

"Those niches are beautifully made. The style combines some Greek and Arabian influences, but it is quite modern. I am especially intrigued by the ceiling. I wasn't aware that such way of decorating has been discovered so early."

My mouth drops open. I obviously underestimated her. But I am not shocked by Crilia's reaction to Nathalie's statement. She is almost beaming and a look of pure adoration and happiness took over her face. I know she is deeply in love with architecture and now she found herself another soul to share her passion with. I smile discreetly and return my gaze to Mel.

"You are not wrong, sweetie, but I have to correct you on this. We, the people of Vesuvia, discovered these styles and methods long before. Later, when we learned to travel to and from your world, we shared our knowledge and talent with you. From here started all the influences that you mentioned, that later developed on their own to what you know now."

"But...that means that your civilization was so developed when ours was just a toddler. It can't be possible. The Greek and Arabian styles developed in Ancient times. The earliest architectural remainings are from 600 BC. How could you know all these things so ahead of us?" Crilia asks mistrustfully. I can already see the appreciation in Nathalie's eyes and the small connection they already formed.

"We have always been...ahead of your world. Don't let yourself be fooled by the surroundings. We kept our style like this, yes, but we are economically and culturally way more developed than you are. While your society has more social levels and faces a big gap between the poor and the rich, with homeless people almost everywhere, our world has no such thing. There are no poor, and the socials classes are fewer and closer. The lowest level here is actually the medium one there." Mel explains.

"But...who rules this place? This is the palace and nobody lives here. Shouldn't the leader of Vesuvia reside here? Or is this some kind of... 'souvenir for the old times'?" I ask curiously. It seems strange that we haven't seen anyone here since our arrival.

"Oh, no! The leader does live here. In fact, the palace is very much populated, but I took care to send everybody home. As a safety measure, at least until you adapt to this new...environment." she informs us.

"Then who is the leader, Melody? Where is he?" Andrew asks from behind me. I almost forgot the others are here as well.

"Oh, the leader isn't a he. It's a she. And you are looking at it, dear!" Mel laughs a little.

"You mean..."

"Yes, Clara! I am the leader of Vesuvia. Welcome to my humble kingdom. Hope you like it!"