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Maud doesn't know what to think.

She has never been anywhere except in the north. The trees of the north, the houses of the north, the cold of the north. All of those are things that she understands. That in winter there is snow and darkness, and that in autumn there are orange and yellow trees and storms that shake houses off the ground. But on the other side of the Red mountains, beyond the border separating the two countries from each other, a much different climate greets her.

The air is much warmer, and the ground much greener. They've traveled for a week straight ahead across Red Lion territory, after traveling for another two weeks in Blue Knight. Both countries are large and their capitals aren't exactly by the border. It might have taken the prince only a week to reach her in Blue knight, but traveling with her strictly in a carriage, the trip is much slower and more demanding. They can't take any shortcuts, and having to stay on the main road means dragging out the time. Not to mention their slow speed. But this is what they were expecting, so nobody was frustrated or surprised by this.

Maud wishes that she could say that her and Adelio have grown close during their time traveling. Spending three weeks together in the same camp, eating the same food and hearing the same soldiers speak should've brought them closer. But the truth is, Maud has spent all of her time either inside a tent, or inside a carriage. From the carriage window she sometimes sees the outside world, but nobody is there to see her. Adelio barely shows his face to her once a day, and rarely ever speaks. After their confrontation in the tent three weeks ago, they haven't had a conversation worth mentioning. Maud feels more anxious and less hopeful about their future as each day passes, because she knows that the cold eyes that stare at her can never truly love her.

But now that they've traveled far enough into Red Lion, Maud has something much bigger on her mind than her distant husband. The coldness of her previous country is now but a blurry memory, replaced by the pressing heat and rainy nights of the tropical red country. They've passed through a forest green enough to be a rainforest, and an area dry enough to be a desert. But mostly all she has seen are roads, wide roads passing through the country, as they come closer and closer to Maud's new home. There are fields built up on hills around them, forests with trees that have big leaves and flowers in all kinds of colors. The people she has seen look similar to Penny, her maid, and they all wave with friendly smiles when they pass through. The friendliness of the people, or even just the smiles and excitement, are foreign to Maud. She's used to a much more cold and monotonous culture, where people don't smile to strangers, and where people say things straight as they are.

Coming to this warmer country, both figuratively and literally, has been quite the journey for Maud. It shouldn't be for Margaret, a princess who has been educated on everything possible, but it is mind blowing for Maud, a girl who still isn't sure how she's going to fit in among all these royals.

However, now things are different. Maud hasn't seen fields in a long while, or forests or deserts. They have entered a completely different area of the country. Houses as large as trees, made from stone, rise up around the road. They have passed through three cities since yesterday morning, but that's nothing compared to the capital. Maud can see it right in front of her, as they have stopped by the city gates. A large yellow stone wall separates the largest city in the world from the outside countryside. This country might be slightly smaller than Blue Knight according to territory and population, a small margin between the two, but the Red Lion capital is known in the world for being the biggest and most influential and important city on the continent. Blue Knight's capital is not much compared to the majesty that exists within these yellow stone walls.

Varzol is the official name of the capital, which is a reference to the first queen of this kingdom. She stood high and strong, much stronger than her husband who was king, and was the first true ruler of this country. Before women were truly oppressed, she held the power here. This country was first built in the hands of a woman, and in the mind of a woman. She inherited the land from her father, and with her riches and strategy she managed to raise it up to a kingdom. Red Lion, the knight that named this country, was her brave son that led the first wars, which eventually led this country to the position of glory that it has today. The word Varzol could also mean high tower, in Maud's own language, and fortress tower in current Red Lion language. And surely, the city is like a high fortress. Houses upon houses, all made from stone, stand next to each other in rows and rows of market roads and busy streets. The walls can withstand the harshest of attacks, and the scorching heat can hardly be suffered from within the large parks and fountains that exist all around the buildings and palaces.

Maud knows all about it from the books that they forced her to read. There were drawn pictures in the books too, because how else could you make someone from the north believe that outside fountains, vibrant city gardens, roads of stone buildings and tropical climates exist? But nothing could prepare her for the real deal, not words or pictures. It's the color and the smell, the air and the sounds all around her.

The city gates open with a loud squeak, as they do once every hour for exactly ten minutes. Open city gates are like an open mouth, sure you need to let the air in, but keeping it open all the time attracts bacteria and bugs too. So outside the gates the people wait in long lines, until the doors open again. Usually royals get a free pass whenever they come or go, but now they arrived just five minutes before the gates were to open, so the prince decided to wait with the rest. He's a man of the people, Maud can tell. That warms her heart. At least he's not completely cold blooded. Whatever that counts for in their marriage...

She's inside her carriage, so everything that is happening outside is currently limited knowledge for her. Hiding behind a veil is her only way to peek from behind the curtain of the carriage. She knows that the people shouldn't see her face, because for some reason it's inappropriate, and could spread unnecessary rumors about her appearance or bold actions. She doesn't dare to look too much though, only a few times when behind the wall, as there are way too many people around the carriage. Of course, none of them can get too close. The hundred soldiers that currently serve them surround it enough to give Maud space. Now as the gates of the city open slowly and they start moving again, she dares to peek out of the window to see the huge capital open up to her with the greatest kind of curiosity.

"Have you been here before, Penny?"

Her maid is sitting opposite of her, slowly gathering all of her loose things around the seating place into one separate bag. She looks up at the princess with kind and energetic eyes, nodding her head. Penny looks right at home in this climate and country, even though she has expressed that Blue Knight feels more like home. Maud hopes that she can settle in well here despite that fact. They are going to stay here for the rest of their lives, after all, and most likely they will never return to the country they both still consider their home and roots.

"Yes, your Highness. However I do not remember any of it, as I left the country as a very young child"

Maud nods too, with a small sound of acknowledgment. Penny lived in the capital of this country before, with a different name and probably a poor family. Maud doesn't know what led her all the way to Blue Knight, but whatever it was she considers herself lucky to have a maid from this country who still speaks her home language. They both look out the window after that, seeing the wide market road that they are journeying along. The carriage jumps and shakes a little, but it's much better compared to the sandy and rocky roads on the way here. Maud flattens one of her most beautiful dresses, a pink gown covered in pearls, loosely combined with a white veil to hide her identity from the people. Despite the heat her dress has long sleeves, however there is thankfully no high collar this time. Maud is sure that she would die. It's a little cooler in the shadows of the carriage, but it does little to help against the heat outside.

Still, she knows that there is a reason for her elaborate and quite dreadful clothing. This is her first actual day as princess of this kingdom, and the day she is introduced to this country. Somebody will quickly draw the scene of her arrival at the palace and that drawing will be posted in all kinds of newsletters to both nobility and common folk. The king of this country will get to see her for the first time, and so will all court ladies, guards, maids, other servants and nobility of the palace. Royal guests, sister princesses of this kingdom and palace cooks. Everybody is waiting on the courtyard for her arrival, and for Adelio's return. Maud must say, it was quite risky of them to send their one and only shining heir straight into the enemy's nest, so truly it's a miracle and a relief for everybody in the royal family and government that he returned home without any injuries or deaths. Not to mention what a blessing it is that he returned home with an actual princess. They didn't have any proof of her existence when they sent him away, Maud is sure of that.

Knowing that there is a huge entrance waiting for her, Maud can hardly stay still. She is unbelievably nervous and doesn't know what to do or think. Their eyes will follow her and their mouths will gossip, a simple veil can't hide her from their judging selves. Nothing has truly prepared her for this, prepared her to be in the center of attention. She doesn't even know how she'll act when the situation comes, how she'll respond. For all Maud knows, she'll freeze up in front of the king, or puke in front of the guards. Which is more dreadful, Maud doesn't know. All she does know is that this situation is awfully similar to the time she was brought to the Blue Knight capital and palace for the first time.

Seeing the houses and roads, the people and the markets, the servants and the guards, all for the first time. It was just as overwhelming as this is now. But now she knows better. Back then she was an unknowing and weak fool. Maud is prepared, she knows how to do this, she can do this and no puking or freezing up will stop her from surviving this cruel world and becoming the queen of this kingdom. It's not what she wants, but it's all she can afford right now. There is no other choice except for death, and Maud isn't suicidal quite yet, so she chooses life.

"I think we've arrived to the more important streets, it would probably be better to stay out of sight, your highness"

Maud, who is naturally way more obedient than other princesses, follows her maids' words as well as she can. She drops the curtain quickly and lets it fall in front of the window, and tightens her veil to hide her face further. Outside there are only large stone houses now, big buildings with private pools and courtyards and gardens. The mansions and residences of the nobility and rich of this kingdom, the ones that are somehow related to the royal family or wealthy beyond belief, all live here. It's just a few street corners away from the palace gates.

Even after arriving there, Maud knows that their trip won't be completely over. The royal residence of Red Lion, Red Varzol palace and court, is notoriously large in size. Not just upwards, like the Blue Knight palace, but sideways too. It stretches out over fields and fields of land, luxurious and unbelievably large stone buildings making up the court of this country. There is one main palace, a large round building with seven floors and an oval roof, and connected to it there are four parts of the main palace. The south and north wings are the ones that make up the facade along with the main building, and they stretch on longer than Maud wants to walk in these clothes. There are four floors to each one and thousands of windows. On the backside of the main palace building, there are the left and right wings of the palace, that are glass roofed with four floors and another fine set of crystal windows and fancy marble coating.

These five buildings make up the main part of the palace. Together these buildings form a sort of square shape, with the main oval palace connected to the north and south wings at front, and the large left and right wings making up the back. In the middle there are all kinds of slightly smaller but still huge stone buildings, outside or glass passageways leading an easy route from one side to the other, and parks and pools that are decorated in the finest forms of furniture, statues and trees. Even animals roam the palace grounds, the most rare, expensive and exotic ones that they could find. That's because the Varzol city exists by the sea, much like the blue knight capital, and they easily get all kinds of things from the large Varzol harbor.

Maud read all about it in the large book she was given not too long ago. The book also listed the two hundred and thirty other buildings within the large palace walls, not including the main palace with its many wings. All buildings, large and small were listed. From important side palace buildings to horse stables and storages. Maud was told to memorize the map of the palace grounds in her book, and which places she would be allowed to enter as a princess of her status. There weren't many places she was allowed to visit alone, if Maud remembers correctly. But together with Adelio this entire world of wonder would be hers to explore. Still, Maud knows that there is no hope for that. Adelio doesn't like her. He wouldn't take her on any kinds of tours or spontaneous walks, not even if she wanted to.

Maud will be confined to the right wing of the palace, also known as the eastern palace or the princess chambers. The entire third floor of the eastern palace is where the princesses reside. The princes have a similar floor on the left wing, also known as the western prince palace. The two sides are very far from each other, and for good reason. Men and women shouldn't socialize or see each other unnecessarily. Especially as royalty. Maud is free to stay in Adelio's chambers in the western tower when he wants her to, but otherwise they won't be allowed to share a chamber or residence until Adelio is king and she is queen. Maud doesn't know if she wants that to happen sooner or later, but what she does know is that there won't be a long time until they are crowned to those titles. She has heard of Adelio's father's, the king's, sick and old condition.

It's a shame really, but Maud is smart enough to know that it's also the reason why she's here. Why she's a princess, why she is married to this cold hearted man. If there wasn't urgency in their situation, Maud would never even have been brought to the Blue Knight palace by Makai. She is a bride and a wife, there is no other use to her. There is no other use to her as a woman. Not until she can birth a child. Because then of course, she'll be a mother too.

"Don't worry too much, your highness"

It's like Penny can sense her fear.

"You are beautiful and kind, this kingdom will love you"

And as the gates of the palace open, Maud begins to wonder if that truly is enough to survive the dreads that await her.

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