While coming to terms with her new position as King Dastrehan's betrothed, Alys's unknown past has blown a hole in everything she has come to know and trust about herself and her life.
Alys' memories of her life as Princess Endolynn are few and inc...
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*The purple star is the location of Tarkam Palace
*The white star is the location of High Cloud Palace
*The red star is the location of Country Palace
*The blue star is the location of Seaside Castle
Alys was not sure how they would be getting up to High Cloud Palace. Her memories of the route had not returned, though a familiarity seemed to strike her after each "new" discovery.
She had heard of the tunnels that ran through the great mountains of Balear; through to the valley behind, up to the palace, and to other strongholds in the mountains. Lord Sadon explained that roads were also built into the sides of the mountains, winding all the way to the palace and around to the back sides of the mountains. Travel took longer on those roads, so they were mainly used by traveling merchants, common folk, or visitors of the palace. Not that there had been any visitors for some years.
"Which way are we taking?" Alys asked, looking out the window at the quickly approaching mountain side in front of them.
Lord Sadon did not so much as look up from the scroll he was reading.
"Neither. Or at least, not really."
Alys puzzled over the old man's strange answer. Was there a third way into Balear?
She did not have to wait long to find out, as they soon approached a set of large iron gates set into the mountain side between two stonework buildings.
They must be guard posts, Alys thought to herself. Guards emerged from seemingly out of no where, and the iron gate started to open. About 20 or so guards lined the roadway, pulling their swords from their sheaths and raising them up in the air with a cheer.
"They're welcoming you," Lord Sadon set his scroll down and looked at his granddaughter, "You should wave to them. Many of these men have spent a good amount of their time searching for you and your brother."
Alys did not know how to respond, but she took the old man's advice and waved shyly, thankful that all but her face and a hand were concealed by the carriage.
Within less than a minute, the procession was heading straight into a tunnel, lit carefully by torches mounted into the walls on both sides.
The procession did not slow as Alys' expected; the carriages and buggies rolled forward at the same brisk pace as they had during the days of their travel.
Alys' stomach tightened with fear of crashing into a wall or into another traveller going the opposite way.
The tunnel curved so slightly that Alys barely noticed. Then the horses slowed and came to a stop.
"The carriage in front is going up first." Lord Sadon offered, noticing Alys' puzzled expression.
