บท 688: Before King and Court

If I had expected the third princess or Etienne to accompany me, I was mildly disappointed. Alone, I walked down the middle of the rug. At either side of the rug, humanity thronged. And Ulwai, though if I saw any elves, I didn't recognize them as such.

Tapestries colorful and bold adorned the walls, little as I saw of their lower parts. It was almost like a different throne room, packed with vibrant life. That life was wrapped up in politics. Local. Regional. Cultists speaking to each other in languages they thought were private.

Clad in armor resembling that of the timber wolf, patron animal of Furdia, I walked down the middle of the carpet that everyone else seemed deliberately to avoid. I didn't see why at the time. The weave was thick and soft and so much warmer than the stone floor.

Some heads, of course, turned. But mostly it was eyes alone, sidelong glasses that diverted quickly when I turned my head as though I would meet them.