Sentria: The Age of Adventure (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty: Three

Eldwyn looked at me with a curious face and I understood his concern. I had just informed him that we'd be going to the Vilquist Castle which was responsible for vanquishing Frayburn castle. It wasn't ideal, but the Colress and Maybury royal names protected us and I was still their high prince, even this far east.

 "The castle from the story?" asked Eldwyn. He wasn't shivering anymore, as if his confusion canceled it out.

"The very same," I said.

"But...they're murderers," Eldwyn said in a huff.

"Lord Arrington I has been dead for years, Eldwyn," I said. "We can't hold their past sins against them."

Eldwyn looked like he understood, but he wasn't happy with it. 

It took us several hours out of the way, but we hadn't another choice. All of the other houses along are path were barely standing and wouldn't protect us much from the harsh cold even if they had rooms to spare. We needed the thick walls of a lord's castle, even if it was from one of the lesser houses.

"D-does your p-powers include making things warmer?" asked Prince Lucas, holding himself with one arm as he rode on his horse.

"They...do not," he answered, lingering between words. "I can...only make things colder."

We made it to Vilquist Castle and it was what I had expected. I had never seen images of it, only heard descriptions from tutors. It was never worth the effort for an artist to render. I looked over the cracked castle walls and the modest castle between the bars of the castle gates. It was about a quarter of the size of Sentria Castle, and it looked like it hadn't been refurbished in years. The towers didn't soar into the air and the large bricks were chipped all over as if they had been gnawed on by giants. 

At the East Gate, I told the soldiers who I was and presented my royal records and they let me through eagerly. We went past the guard hall and saluting guards at the guards' hall, crossing the courtyard. There were people pushing pushcarts with logs, blacksmiths heating iron and banging on them with iron, and young children playing with dogs. On the other side of it was Vilquist Castle and there was a small wood in the western corner and a belltower at the center.

Most lords would have met us outside of the castle, but outside the higher realms, they were much less formal. We were led through the wide halls to the throne room by a guard. Along the way, we came across Lord Cedric Arrington himself who looked just as surprised as we were. He recognized us immediately.

"Oh," Lord Arrington said with a surprised expression. He was a round man with a pointed mustache that curled up. He wore dark-gray robes with thick yellow lining on the edges. "Prince of Sentria."

"Yes," I said stepping forward. "I am High Prince Darren Colress from Sentria. This is Prince Lucas Marbury from Stargon, and my valet, Eldwyn Gamor. I know it's informal, but we need a place to  keep us warm through the night. Would you mind us taking shelter in your halls?"

"But of course!" King Arrington said, shaking his head in disbelief. "My guard will take you to your rooms and then you can join us for supper."

As I had thought, Lord Arrington made no mention of Eldwyn being a relic. My rank was too high and he was too willing to please to bring it up.

We were taken to the guest house adjacent to the castle and we warmed up and rested. There were ten rooms in total, two of which were in use. A nobleman from West Balgore was in one room, and a landlord from a nearby village in the other. I didn't like us having separate rooms, but I told myself that we were safe there. 

We were brought to the dining room inside the castle by the same guard as before. Lord Arrington sat at one end and his wife Lady Clarissa sat at the other side. She had short blonde hair that was faded like old straw and she wore a fluffy yellow dress with a tangled pattern all over. Their son Gable and daughter Kristine sat on the opposite side of us. They both had strawberry blonde hair and they were brighter in spirit than their wearied parents, as if the coldness of their realm hadn't dampened their spirits yet.