Chapter 57: So It’s Time

1st March, 1551.

I woke up earlier than usual.

There wasn’t any particular reason for it. We weren’t leaving until five in the afternoon, and I had more than enough time to get ready, but the knowledge that I would be standing inside the King’s Palace later that day had already made sleeping feel strangely pointless.

I got out of bed and dressed carefully, putting on the formal clothes we had bought for me a few days ago. The coat fit perfectly around my shoulders, and the dark fabric looked considerably more formal than anything I normally.

I adjusted the collar in front of the mirror.

By noon, the manor had become noticeably livelier.

Arthur, Mary, and Theodore had arrived for lunch, having been invited over before we left for the palace. Arthur entered the dining room first.

"Something smells amazing."

Sera, already seated at the table, glanced at him.

"You haven’t even seen the food."

"I don’t need to."

Theodore walked in behind him and shook his head. "You could smell burnt bread and still call it amazing if you were hungry enough."

Arthur looked offended.

"That’s not true." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Mary quietly took her seat.

"It is."

Arthur stared at her.

"You too?"

She nodded.

I laughed as I sat down.

Lunch had been prepared more elaborately than usual. A large roasted chicken occupied the center of the table, surrounded by golden potatoes, roasted carrots, and green beans covered in butter. There were also thick slices of glazed pork, warm bread with butter, a bowl of creamy mushroom soup, and a few smaller dishes of vegetables and fruit.

At the end of the table sat a freshly baked apple tart, still warm enough that its sweet smell lingered in the air.

Arthur looked at the table for several seconds.

"I take back everything bad I’ve ever said about your family."

"You’ve never said anything bad about my family."

"Exactly."

Theodore gave him a tired look.

We began eating, and for a while the conversation remained pleasantly ordinary.

"How are things going?" I asked.

Arthur immediately groaned.

"Don’t remind me."

"Why?"

"We had written work today."

Theodore looked at him. "Everyone had written work today."

"I know."

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Because I don’t like it."

"You don’t like anything that requires sitting still for more than five minutes."

Arthur pointed his fork at him.

"That’s not true."

"You complained during etiquette."

"Because that class is boring."

"You complained during combat."

"Also boring."

"You complained during affinity."

"That one was complicated."

I laughed.

"At least you’re consistent."

Arthur leaned back in his chair.

"Exactly."

The conversation continued for several minutes, jumping from classes to teachers, and the ceremony later that evening. Nobody really knew what the ceremony would be like, which naturally led to a ridiculous number of guesses.

Arthur seemed convinced that the King would give each of us a sword.

Theodore disagreed.

Mary thought we would probably receive some sort of medal or insignia.

I had no idea.

Eventually, Arthur looked toward me.

"Do you think they’ll make us kneel?"

"Of course."

He frowned.

"I don’t like that."

"Why?"

"It feels strange."

Theodore shrugged. "You’re meeting the King. What did you expect?"

"I don’t know. A handshake?"

Mary looked at him.

"Would you shake the King’s hand?"

Arthur thought about it.

"...Maybe."

Theodore laughed.

Even I couldn’t help smiling.

After a while, the conversation shifted to something more recent.

Arthur’s expression became slightly more serious.

"By the way, did you hear what happened to that man in Kingsmere?"

I looked at him.

"Which man?"

"Ethan Meuskate."

My hand paused around my cup.

Theodore looked up as well.

"I heard something about that."

Arthur lowered his voice slightly. "Apparently he was found outside his own house."

Mary frowned.

"What happened?"

"They said he had been badly injured."

Theodore’s expression tightened.

"How badly?"

Arthur hesitated before answering.

"They said his legs had been cut."

The table became noticeably quieter.

I lowered my gaze.

’That’s a rather gentle way of putting it.’

Arthur continued, "He was apparently left right in front of his own door."

Mary’s eyebrows drew together.

"Why would someone do that?"

"No idea."

Theodore leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful.

"Was he attacked by criminals?"

"Nobody seems to know."

I stared at the table for a moment.

The image came back to me immediately.

I forced my expression to remain neutral.

"That’s... sad."

Arthur nodded.

"Yeah."

Mary looked down at her plate.

"Whoever did that must have really hated him."

I didn’t answer.

Theodore seemed to notice my expression.

"You knew him, didn’t you?"

I looked up.

"Not really."

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

I had met him.

I had spoken to him.

I had even been the one who put him to sleep.

But that wasn’t something I could exactly explain over lunch.

Arthur sighed.

"Whatever happened, I hope he remains alive."

"Same," I said quietly.

For a moment, nobody spoke about it again.

Then Arthur, apparently deciding that the mood had become far too serious for his liking, picked up another piece of bread.

"Anyway, I heard the academy is already talking about us."

Theodore raised an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"Apparently we’re the youngest people ever being knighted."

"Was it actually confirmed?"

Arthur shrugged.

"Who knows?"

Theodore nodded thoughtfully.

"It would make sense."

Mary glanced toward him.

"You sound pleased."

"I am."

Arthur grinned.

"Look at Theodore. He’s finally admitting he’s excited."

"I never said I wasn’t."

"You’ve been acting serious all morning."

"Because someone has to."

Arthur looked at me.

"Edmund, tell him."

"I think he’s excited."

Theodore gave me a satisfied look.

Arthur pointed at him.

"See? You’re ruining my argument."

I laughed.

The rest of lunch passed much more lightly.

By the time we finished eating, the plates had been cleared and the conversation had wandered toward completely unrelated things. Arthur talked about a book he had recently started reading, Theodore disagreed with his opinion of one of the characters, and Mary quietly corrected both of them when they started arguing about something neither of them had actually checked.

Eventually, the clock moved close enough to five that Mr. Rowan entered the dining room.

"The carriage is ready."

The conversation stopped.

Arthur looked toward the window.

"So it’s time."

I stood from my chair.

"Looks like it."

Father and Mother came outside with us, while Sera followed behind with her arms folded.

The large carriage waited outside the manor, its polished black exterior reflecting the afternoon light. The horses stood calmly in front of it, their breath faintly visible in the cool air.

Mr. Rowan opened the door.

Arthur stepped forward, then paused.

"Wait."

He looked toward Father.

"Only the four of us are going?"

Father nodded.

"That is what we were informed."

"No parents?"

"No."

"Other family members?"

"No."

Arthur looked at the rest of us.

"That’s a little intimidating."

Theodore climbed into the carriage.

"It’s fine."

Mary followed him.

I stepped inside next.

Arthur sighed before joining us.

Mr. Rowan closed the door.

Through the window, I could see Father standing beside Mother while Sera watched us with the faintest smile.

"Good luck," Mother said.

Father nodded.

"Enjoy the ceremony."

Sera raised a hand.

"And don’t embarrass us."

I looked at her.

"I’ll try."

She smiled.

"That’s all I ask."

The carriage began moving.

The four of us sat facing one another as the manor slowly disappeared behind us.

For a while, we simply watched the streets pass through the windows.

The afternoon traffic was heavier than usual, with carriages moving between the wider roads of Kingsmere. Buildings rose around us, their large windows catching the fading sunlight, while pedestrians moved along the pavements in their formal coats and dresses.

Arthur eventually broke the silence.

"Do you think they will actually make a speech?"

Theodore looked at him.

"Probably."

"How long?"

"How would I know?"

"I hope it’s short."

Mary glanced toward him.

"You don’t like speeches?"

"I don’t like standing still."

I smiled.

"You’ll survive."

Arthur looked offended.

"That’s what everyone keeps saying."

Theodore laughed.

The conversation continued like that for most of the journey, with none of us really knowing what awaited us beyond the palace gates.

Then, about ten minutes after leaving the manor, the carriage began to slow.

I looked outside.

At first, I saw the outer walls which were enormous.

Pale stone stretched across the horizon, rising several stories above the surrounding streets. Massive towers stood at regular intervals along the walls, each topped with dark, steeply pitched roofs. Narrow windows ran vertically along their surfaces, while royal banners hung from the upper sections and moved gently in the evening wind.

...Then I saw the gates.

Two enormous iron doors stood between a pair of fortified towers, each guarded by several soldiers dressed in polished armor.

As our carriage approached, one of the guards stepped forward.

The carriage slowed even further.

Then the gates began to open.

The sound of metal moving against metal echoed through the street.

Arthur leaned toward the window.

"That’s the palace?"

I nodded.

"Yeah."

The gates opened completely as our carriage passed through.

The King’s Palace stood beyond them.

I had seen it from a distance before, but seeing it from the inside was entirely different.

The palace was immense, built from pale stone and dark roofing that gave the entire structure a commanding presence. Several towers rose above the main building, some narrow and elegant, others broad enough to resemble fortifications. Tall arched windows covered the walls, their frames decorated with intricate stonework.

The central entrance was especially imposing.

A massive staircase led toward enormous wooden doors reinforced with dark metal. Tall pillars stood on either side, while carved stone statues watched over the approach from elevated platforms.

The courtyard itself was vast.

Stone paths stretched between carefully maintained gardens, fountains, and rows of trimmed trees. Guards stood throughout the grounds, positioned with enough precision that they seemed almost like part of the architecture.

Beyond the courtyard, more sections of the palace emerged behind the main building.

Arthur stared through the window.

"...That’s huge."

Theodore, for once, didn’t immediately correct him.

Mary simply watched in silence.

I couldn’t blame any of them.

Our carriage continued deeper into the grounds before finally slowing near the main staircase.

The horses stopped.

For a few seconds, none of us moved.

Arthur looked toward me.

"Well."

I looked back at him.

"We’re here."

Theodore straightened his coat.

Mary adjusted her sleeves.

I reached for the carriage door.

The moment it opened, the cool evening air brushed against my face.

I stepped outside. Arthur followed... Then Mary and Then Theodore.

We stood together at the bottom of the enormous staircase, with the King’s Palace rising before us.

At the top, the great doors opened.

A formally dressed royal attendant stepped forward and looked down at the four of us.

"The King awaits your presence."