Taking in the sights, Astaroth almost went slack-jawed.
The entire floor seemed bigger than the ones under it, by double the area. Matter of fact, it looked bigger than it should, at all.
This entire floor looked like they had expanded it from the inside, even though the tree still looked the same from the outside when he arrived. He could already guess this was the work of a very potent mage.
But turning his head to his extreme right, he noticed runes on the wall next to him. Touching the rune, he immediately understood what it did, when it gave him an immediate sense of vertigo, like his surroundings suddenly expanded fourfold.
Drawing his hand away from the rune, he gasped for air a few times, shaking his head to recover from the vertigo.
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm "Well, that was… educational. I'll have to remind myself not to put my hands on unknown runes in the future."
From the side, a soft chuckle escaped the maid's lips as her eyes widened in surprise. She slammed her two hands over her mouth, bowing immediately.
"I'm sorry for laughing at you, your majesty! I swear it was an accident!"
Astaroth's hand landed on her shoulder.
"What did I say about bowing? And laugh all you want. I did something stupid and deserved to be laughed at for it. Don't be scared to express your genuine emotions around me."
The maid snapped back upright, her hands still covering her mouth. She tried containing her laughter, the king still looking a little haggard, but she finally let herself go.
Laughing a hearty laugh, she let her emotions burst out momentarily before regaining her composure after a few moments. She hadn't laughed like this in a while, and it was therapeutic.
Brushing away the tears of laughter at the corner of her eyes, she looked at the monarch before apologizing for her outburst.
Astaroth looked a bit distraught.
"Did I look that ridiculous?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Not at all, my king. It must have been pent-up emotions coming out together with the laughter. I apologize."
Waving his hand dismissively, Astaroth smiled at her.
"Let us resume the tour, shall we?"
Nodding her head with a big smile, the maid beckoned him forward.
"This entire floor has been expanded magically, as you have experienced, to have the sentinels on hand at any moment necessary. The sentinels are also a large part of our ranged forces and act as our first line of defence. In case of attack, the druid over there teleports them to their posts through the large wooden pillars across the area."
Pointing at the druid that sat in the center of the room, at what looked like a worktable, patiently growing some kind of apparatus from the wood of the table itself, the maid explained the room's function.
"The chambers all around the room are sleeping rooms, where the sentinels go to, well, sleep. Over there is a canteen where they can enjoy a warm meal, cooks being ready to serve them at any moment. In this corner is a shooting range, if they wish to keep their aim true while off-duty."
The maid explained the room's layout in great detail, not missing even an inch of its area, to a frightening degree.
"You seem to know a great deal about this floor. Is there a particular reason for this?"
"Ah… No reason in particular, Sire. I just know som—"
"Coral! My love! What are you doing on this floor? I thought you were going to be busy with the king today?"
A tall Elven man ran up to Astaroth and the maid, embracing her tightly as he got to her. The maid started punching him with her small, frail arms, whispering something to him.
Astaroth just stood to the side, smiling at the scene.
'That explains it.'
After the maid whispered in the man's ear, he went pale, dropping her to the ground and spinning around, before bowing at a ninety-degree angle.
"I'm sorry, your highness, I didn't know she was accompanying you! I will take any punishment you deem adequate for my rudeness!"
*Sigh*
"What is it with everyone treating me like I'm some sort of tyrant? I swear, it's getting tiresome. Stand up, soldier."
"Yes, Sire!" the soldier barked, getting back up, straight like an iron pole, his head lifted high to keep his eyes from meeting the sovereign's.
The maid, Coral, elbowed him in the side, whispering at him again. Astaroth saw the man's face change from a serious look of fear to one of confusion, before he lowered his gaze to meet Astaroth's.
"Good. Know that I have your attention. What is your name?"
"Castien, Sire. I am sorry for my impudence. I did not know you were coming up here."
The man was about to bow again, but Astaroth gripped his shoulder. The Elven man was almost a head taller than Astaroth and built like an athlete, but that didn't stop Astaroth from interrupting his motion with a single hand.
Feeling the powerful grip on his shoulder, the soldier was surprised. Although he could see a clear muscle definition under the monarch's shirt, he didn't look as strong as he needed to be, to grip him in place like this.
"Stay upright. This unnecessary bowing needs to stop when we are in an unofficial setting. Castien, I take it you are a sentinel. I thank you for your service, and hope you keep defending this kingdom with pride."
The soldier didn't know how to react. He got his back straight again, before nodding wordlessly.
"Oh, and one more thing," Astaroth said, leaning closer to him. "Nice catch."
Tapping lightly on the man's arm, Astaroth walked away, looking around the fifth floor. From the corner of his eye, he could see the big dumb grin on the Elf's face as he looked at Coral, the maid's face completely flushed red.
She punched Castien, before hurrying back to Astaroth's side, her face still red like a ripe tomato.
Astaroth chuckled.
"Is there a sixth floor we can visit?" he asked, trying to get back to his tour.
Clearing her throat, the maid, Coral, regained her previous composure, her cheeks still slightly rosy.
"The sixth floor is being renovated for now. The interim king, Leon, asked for a training room inside the palace, and he designated the sixth floor as its location.
"The Elven builders are currently rearranging the room to his specifications and strengthening the surfaces. Mages will then also come and enchant the floor, ceiling, and walls to be practically indestructible. This process is time-consuming, though."
Astaroth listened to her explanations, nodding slowly. He also liked the idea of a training room directly inside his new home. Looking at the time, he saw he still had an hour before the meeting.
"I find myself in want of a breath of fresh air. Have you ever visited the canopy of the tree palace, Coral?"
"I beg your pardon?"
Before she could react further, Astaroth grabbed her hand, pulled on it, and picked her up, before dashing into an open pathway in one pillar that the druid had just opened for a sentinel. Before long, he reappeared on one of the top branches, the maid in his arms, suddenly shrieking in horror.
"Eeek! Please don't drop me! I'm terrified of heights!"
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