It was noon by the time the two women managed to reach Ficcioro Palace. They had arrived in a giant square after weaving through a honeycomb of compact sunny streets bursting with people. Y/N's eyes grew wide as they landed on the mammoth stone walls that surrounded the Palace grounds. She had never been so close to it before and it took her breath away.
The walls were built of sandy yellow stone, that only seemed brighter in the light of the sun. Guards stood atop the wall the easily towered over the surrounding buildings, but distant gold-plated tower tops of the Palace within could still be seen over the wall.
On trembling legs, Y/N walked with Enicia across the square until they reached the wall. The main wooden gates were closed, so they went to a much smaller door set into the yellow wall a few paces away being guarded by two soldiers dressed in purple and red tunics.
Y/N tried her best to quell the fear rising in her throat at the sight of them. Their uniforms were the same as the men who had burnt the capital of Vascini to the ground ten years ago, and even though she knew that these men likely weren't old enough to have taken part in the war they still made her uneasy.
"Halt!" One of the soldiers called in a stern voice, only adding to Y/N's anxiety. "State your business at the Palace." He commanded.
"We wish to serve in the Palace as maids," Enicia answered gracefully. "We are willing to do whatever work is to be had," she added, hoping to increase their chances of getting in.
"What's in the cloth?" The second soldier asked, pointing to the shawl bundle that Y/N was carrying. She flinched involuntarily but she quickly regained her composure and unwrapped it enough to reveal their few belongings.
"Very well," The first soldier said after looking over the contents of the shawl. "We'll take you two to the Dembocc* who oversees the servants, he'll know if there are any vacant positions for you ladies."
Each guard took a key from his pocket, inserting it into the door's locks and turning them at the same time. The door swung in silently and after taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart Y/N stepped over the threshold with Enicia at her side.
Her eyes were nearly blinded by the brilliance of it and she had to clap her hands over her mouth to keep from audibly gasping. Having spent her early years in a luxurious castle Y/N thought that she could easily expect what lay within the walls, but she was sorely mistaken.
The expansive grounds alone were large enough for the entire city of her old country to fit easily within. They stood on a wide smooth road that led from the large front gate to the main Palace. The grounds were so expensive that the gargantuan Palace could be covered entirely by her hand from where she stood. The grounds were also wide. Stables stood to the left of the main path with a smaller path branching off to them.
The was also an archery field, several guard towers, an arena for jousting, fields of produce, and even a small orchard. The grounds were tiered, with the highest point being the main road while everything else fell away in decreasing levels, all safely sheltered within the stone walls.
Y/N couldn't help but gaze around with wonder at the grounds as she and Enicia followed behind the two guards silently. The sun made all the colors appear more vibrant, from the green fields to the golden dooms of the palace that was growing larger at what seemed to be an impossibly slow rate.
As they drew nearer to the main Palace, the sunny fields were replaced by charming butter-colored Vilas surrounding squares with fountains. The closer they got to the main palace building, the larger and more elaborate the other buildings became. The Palace was more a self-sustaining luxurious city than a Palace.
Finally, they arrived in a massive open square at the front of the true Palace building. It was so massive that Y/N now had to crane her head back to see the many gold-plated spires and domes. The structure was so gigantic in both width and height that the people scurrying in and out through the pale columns at the base looked as small and insignificant as ants.
The Palace was lavish and extravagant in every way, and Y/N was so taken by its grandeur that it took her several moments to notice that the two guards who had been their guides had called out to a well-dressed man who had been hurrying past and gestured him over.
"Dembocc* Micci," One of the soldiers offered the head of the domestic staff at the Palace a brief salute before he gestured to Y/N and Enicia. "These two women want work. Do you have any open positions?"
"Well well well," He looked them up and down through a glass piece that sat over his eye, disdain clear on his pinched face. "You ladies are very lucky, we normally don't hire, but since the king sprang a grand ball on us with barely a month to prepare we could use a couple of extra hands around here - Follow me, I'll take you to the dorms where you're be staying." He said, motioning for the two women to follow him, clearly disgruntled by the fact that he had to scramble to organize the ball in time.
Y/N and Enicia hurried to keep up with the speed-walking man as he walked across the square and entered into the main Palace through a small door that Y/N guessed led into the servants' quarters. She took in a breath as she stepped through the door, she was one step closer to her revenge.
A/N
Dembocc*
Dembocc is a nonhereditary title bestowed onto a merchant or other wealthy man by the king for his services to Luccia. Some travel as diplomats for the kingdom, while others are given mid and upper-level management positions in the country, not unlike Dembocc Micci in this chapter.
Also, what do you think of Ficcioro Palace? It's so massive that I actually had trouble describing everything on the grounds, but I hope it still conjured up a good image for you. ^~^
Until next time I'll see you on the other side
~J. C. Coltt.~