Chapter 153: Thandor King’s Castle
The gate itself was black stone, polished smooth enough that parts of it reflected light faintly when the sun hit at the right angle. Not plain black either, there were silver-colored patterns worked into the edges of the structure, thin engraved lines curling around the stone in deliberate designs that made the entrance look important before anyone even stepped through it.
It was the kind of gate built to impress visitors before they saw anything beyond it.
Comparing it to his own gate at Percvale, Darion almost laughed out loud. His gate was black too, once. But that had been years ago, before the rot set in.
Now it was rusted in patches, the metal flaking away at the edges where years of rain and neglect had eaten through. The left side didn’t close all the way anymore, leaving a gap wide enough for a man to squeeze through sideways.
One of the hinges had snapped not long ago, so the whole thing listed to the right like a drunkard trying to stand up straight.
Wulfric had propped it with a timber beam as a temporary fix, but everyone knew ’temporary’ in Percvale usually meant ’permanent until something worse breaks.’ Looking at this gate: polished and properly maintained, made him realize just how badly Percvale’s entrance had fallen apart. His barony’s front door was literally rusting off its hinges.
Two guards stood outside the gate. Perfectly straight.
One hand resting near the hilts of their swords, not gripping them tightly but close enough that they could draw instantly if needed. Their armor looked cleaner and better maintained than most soldiers Darion had seen outside Percvale. Even the leather straps looked newer.
Two more guards were inside the gate itself, seated on wooden chairs near the inner wall while speaking quietly to each other.
Darion noticed it immediately.
The arrangement.
The two outside were the active guards. The visible presence. The ones watching arrivals directly.
The two inside were resting while remaining close enough to switch positions quickly whenever needed.
A rotating system!
Darion found himself mildly surprised by it. He had not seen guarding done this way before. In Percvale, guards usually just remained standing until they were exhausted enough to complain privately about it later. There had never been enough manpower for structured rotations like this.
Another thing to remember, he thought.
As they approached the gate fully, the outside guards immediately focused on the Thandor guard leading Darion’s group.
One of them narrowed his eyes slightly.
"They’re from Percvale," the escorting guard explained before the question could even fully form. "And they are here to repay a debt the king loaned them some time ago."
The reaction was small, but it was there.
PERCVALE!
Again that name caused a moment of recognition.
One of the guards processed the statement silently for several seconds before speaking.
"Are they genuine?"
Darion almost laughed internally at how bluntly suspicious the question sounded.
The escorting guard nodded immediately.
"Yes. They showed the coins to us already at the outer gate."
The seated guards inside had stopped talking now and were paying attention too.
"Gold?" one of them asked.
"Yes," the escort replied carefully.
That seemed to settle things.
The guard outside gave a slow nod before motioning toward the gate itself.
The heavy black gates began to open inward with a deep grinding sound against stone.
Darion kept his expression calm as he guided his horse forward.
Beside him, Garren remained composed as always while the three Percvale knights followed behind silently.
Then they passed through the gates, still following the Thandor guard leading them further inside.
The inside was beautiful.
The path leading toward the castle stretched forward in smooth stone, cleaner than anything Darion had seen since taking the role of Baron of Percvale.
Along both sides were carefully arranged shrubs and flowering plants, trimmed into neat patterns that clearly took constant maintenance to keep looking that way.
Some carried small white flowers. Others were deep red or purple. A few had golden leaves mixed into the green like they had been planted there purely to impress visitors.
If the average citizen of Percvale saw this place, they would probably think it was some kind of royal garden from a story.
Darion slowed his horse slightly as he looked around.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen something this beautiful.
Then he remembered.
Actually... he could.
The day Ralf and Nigel had driven him out of Percvale in the prison cart.
Back then, before everything changed, before the undead and the battles and the rebuilding and the responsibilities, he had looked through the bars of the cart at the imperial palace gardens one last time while they rolled him away.
The flowers had looked like this. Bright and seemingly perfect. Maintained by people whose entire lives probably revolved around making sure no leaf was out of place.
He remembered staring at them while trying not to think too much about what was happening to him.
And he remembered Ralf patting him on the shoulder awkwardly before the gates closed behind them.
"Best of luck."
Nigel too.
"Truly."
At the time, Darion had thought it was meaningless politeness.
Thinking about it now...
That had actually been one of the nicest things anyone had said to him in that place.
It felt strangely distant now. Like it happened a very long time ago.
The escort continued forward through the grounds while the Thandor guard led the way confidently, clearly familiar with the route. Servants crossed the paths occasionally carrying baskets, folded cloth, or trays. None of them paid the group much attention beyond quick glances.
Darion kept observing everything carefully.
Eventually they arrived in front of the castle itself.
It rose above them in pale stone, large without feeling absurdly oversized. Tall towers stood at the corners, banners hanging down from them and moving gently in the wind. The walls were smooth and well maintained, without cracks or discoloration. Large windows lined parts of the upper floors, reflecting the afternoon light.
Compared to Percvale’s castle, which constantly looked tired no matter how much cleaning was done, this place looked alive.
Not flashy, just good.
Two guards stood outside the entrance in polished armor, spears held upright beside them.
The Thandor guard approached first.
"Visitors from Percvale," he explained. "They’re here to repay a debt owed to the king."
The guards exchanged brief looks at the mention of Percvale but didn’t question things much further. Clearly the verification at the outer gate had already handled the important part.
One of them nodded.
"You may enter."
The large doors behind them were already open.
As Darion and the others dismounted, one of the guards gestured toward a nearby area.
"We’ll see to your horses until your meeting is finished."
Garren gave a short nod at that while the Percvale knights handed over the reins carefully.
Then Darion turned toward the entrance of the castle and walked inside.
