The night before leaving for Jonad, Adi discovered that all the things she had packed in advance had been replaced.
—…….
What was passed on to Adi was not limited to the knightly form alone.
- Red dress.
Comfortable chemises and trousers, lingerie and corsets, all kinds of unknown devices and dresses. Adi could not even imagine that her closet was filled with so many dresses, so she simply pushed them aside, deciding that she would not need them, and left on display only those things that she planned to wear.
Of course, when getting ready, she was guided solely by considerations of practicality.
And this is what came out of it.
- What should I do about it?
Adi picked up the flowing red dress with her fingers. A summer outfit made from such material will certainly hug your figure. So that's why they forced her to hold her breath back then. No wonder she was given such useless things as a corset.
It seems that the Duke's house decided to give priority to her femininity. Adi did not forget that she was a woman, but she doubted whether there was a need to emphasize this with such outfits. She is a knight. And this identity was much more important to her.
But since they were folded so neatly again, does that mean that clothes are necessary? For what? Will we really have to change into women's clothes again? If we just leave it here... probably not? With a serious face, Adi put the dress aside.
The dress that was given to her in advance was okay, but this.
- Why jewelry?..
She didn't know what to make of the small jewelry box containing dozens of stones and accessories found among the things.
* * *Summer in Grimaldi was always just a vague memory. Whether the weather was good or bad, it was always cloudy, gloomy and damp, as if the region was always shrouded in fog.
Summer in Pales was also not bad, but it seemed somehow unreal. When the humidity rose, it only caused irritation. Some people love summer, but Adi couldn't stand it.
However, the route through the Woodpecker property was beautiful. Forests of the estate, roads along ponds, parks and fountains in small towns, endless weeping willows and newly budding green fruits.
All the places they visited while driving through the Woodpecker area were small and beautiful. Both on clear days and on cloudy ones, when shadows from the clouds lay, everywhere was equally pleasant, and the wide deserted roads and fields gave a feeling of peace.
The further journey to Jonad also turned out to be quite good. The long road along the coast, which took about half a month, did not seem boring at all. It seemed that the accompanying servants and other bodyguard knights did not find this moment boring either.
Perhaps it was because there was no need to set up camp. The hasty journey from Palesa to Woodpecker had almost always involved sleeping in the open air, but the journey to Jonad was unusually serene.
In addition, at this time many aristocrats were heading to Jonad, so the hotels were crowded. Many often invited the Duke to have lunch together. Some nobles didn't even know who the Duke was and simply made proposals.
The Duke sometimes accepted such proposals. Less often than rejected. It seemed that he had his own criteria, but Adi could not figure them out.
One thing was certain: where there is a big city, its surroundings also develop. On the outskirts of the Royal Capital of Ionad, there were many estates of aristocrats.
Of course, they were also inside Jonad itself, but the king did not allocate large tracts of land to the nobles when planning the city. On tiny patches of land where it was impossible to build an estate, there were often small buildings in which aristocrats could stay briefly during business visits. Moreover, it seemed that these buildings, empty most of the time, were divided into parts and rented out for housing to the townspeople.
The outskirts, on the contrary, were open. There were no defensive walls here, and they were almost no different from Jonad himself. The spheres of life were so intertwined that even here the spirit of the capital could be felt. Although there was a gate separating the Royal Capital, it seemed to be just a formality.
Even just passing by in a carriage, one could understand that this was a city built according to a clear plan. The buildings were erected in square blocks, like a chessboard. The roads between them were designed for the movement of one to four carriages, and to avoid confusion with the routes, stones were dug in the middle, dividing the path into left and right sides. The absence of sharp turns made the movement of the crew very smooth.
There was not the same antiquity here as in Pales, but on the glittering streets one met people not only from Dalkatir, but also from other countries, judging by the variety of their clothes. Perhaps this was done on purpose to demonstrate the exotic appearance of the city.
“The end of every road leads to the Royal Palace,” said Bert.
Adi cocked her head to the side, watching as Bert held out his hand, explaining that the streets stretched in a straight line from the very walls.
“If war breaks out, it will be easy to capture.”
- This was a guarantee that war would not happen. The king of that time was so powerful.
- Is it the same now?
In response to Adi’s question, Bert only smiled bitterly.
“It’s not the same now as it was then.”
Compared to that time, the king's authority has now fallen noticeably. This was recognized by everyone except the king himself. He just didn't want to admit it. Even though the state treasury had stabilized and the country as a whole was developing, he seemed fixated on the fact that he had never been crown prince and blamed it for all his failures.
However, Dalkatir's position is still precarious. The state treasury, although stable, is not to such an extent that it can provide assistance to other countries. And if such help turns out to be a failure, then Dalkatir himself will be under threat.
- The Crown Prince too...
Adi fell silent mid-sentence. This was a dangerous statement. Leaving aside the guarantees of whether the Crown Prince would become king, now was not the time to discuss his abilities. Bert glanced at Adi briefly, but did not ask questions.
- Over there, the palace appeared.
Having said this, Bert walked towards the carriage in which the Duke was riding. He knocked on the door and the window opened slightly.
- Your Grace, we will soon be at the Royal Palace.
Adi couldn't see how Juls reacted. After a short conversation, Bert headed to another carriage. The one with Dimitri was riding ahead. Bert knocked on the window again.
After talking with him, Bert received some kind of document.
The entrance to the Royal Palace appeared. Unlike Palesa, which was surrounded by fortified walls, the local palace was fenced with an iron grille, through which the interior was visible. At least that's what it seemed like from the outside. There were rumors that many magicians lived in Ionada, protecting the Royal Palace. This openness was only a demonstration of the king's power.
- Stop!
The soldiers standing at the entrance to the Royal Palace crossed their spears.
Bert walked up to the fence. A small window was visible in the snow-white wall between the iron bars. There was a magician there who was responsible for admission to the Royal Palace. Bert handed the documents out the window.
The magician carefully examined the papers, and then put his palm to them. A glow emanated from the documents.
— Identity confirmed. Welcome to Jonad, sir.
The magician said this and made a sign with his hand. The soldiers put away their spears.
- Welcome to Ionad, Your Excellency!
This was followed by a greeting from the soldiers. The iron gates opened by themselves, although no one was nearby. Bert turned his horse and rode inside. Following him, all the carriages entered the territory of the Royal Palace.
* * *The Royal Palace, as always, consisted of an Outer Palace and an Inner Palace.
Unlike Palesa, where the palace was located secluded, in Ionada, located in the center of the city, a huge garden was laid out between the Outer and Inner Palaces so that the royal family could hide from prying eyes what they considered necessary. Walking here was so difficult that even inside the palace one had to travel in carriages.
The Inner Palace housed members of the royal family and invited nobility, while the Outer Palace housed institutions responsible for the affairs of the crown and state. The reporting offices were located on the very outskirts of the Inner Palace.
The residence assigned to Julius was located in the depths of the Inner Palace. The small residence in the eastern part of the Inner Palace, which his father used when he was a prince, before becoming a duke, has remained almost unchanged since then.
The upholstery and curtains were periodically changed, but the interior items themselves belonged to his father. Others had used them before him, but they were only dead people whose names no one remembered.
People are accustomed to giving meaning to things based only on their own situation, and Jules was no exception, considering them simply his father’s furniture. This had its own meaning, but not a positive one.
At the entrance to the Residence, the Duke got out of the carriage. Bert, Adi and other servants followed his example. The workers and coachman accompanying them headed to the stables away from the Residence.
Joel, who had arrived at the Residence before the others to select bodyguard knights and personnel to work in the palace, stood at the entrance, greeting the Duke and his companions.
- Your Grace, welcome.
Joel said this with a slight look of confusion on his face. Noticing his expression, Dimitri asked in a low voice: “Did something happen?” Joel nodded. Dimitri leaned towards him and Joel whispered something. Dimitri's face, having listened to him, also darkened.
- Your Mightiness.
Dimitri called Yuls.
- You have a guest.
Jules narrowed his eyes. Guest. The circle of those who could come to him in Jonad was very limited. Yuls nodded in understanding and entered the Residence. They were followed by servants and knights-bodyguards.
- Where is he?
Juls asked this as he walked up the stairs.
— He's in the reception room on the second floor.
That's what Joel said. Jules climbed the stairs without hesitation and immediately turned right. It looks like the reception room was on the corner. The servants quickly walked ahead of Yuls and opened the doors.
A man stood in the light-filled reception room. Because of the backlight it was hard to see him, but soon he said: “Juls.”
— Claude.
- Yes, it's me.
Claude stepped towards Yuls, spreading his arms in greeting, but, noticing the knight standing behind him, he became gloomy.
- What is this?
That blonde hair and appearance was impossible to forget.
-Really alive?
Just as it was impossible to forget the Count on the day when he abandoned his child.
— Adrina Grimaldi.
“They are funny, these father and daughter,” Claude grinned widely. Adi froze. Jules's face also expressed bewilderment: he did not understand how Claude found out the truth. However, of all those present here, the one who was most shocked was...
-...Grimaldi?
It was Dimitri.