In Noah's nightmare the carriage stopped finally after a journey that took hours even though both Alistair and Arabella felt as if it was a few minutes Arabella opened the door and gestured with her hand to Alistair to get out and he did.
Once he got out Alistair was met with the entrance to the royal palace the gate itself made from black metal rising upward and zigzagging like thorns on both sides of the gate stood two royal knights wearing sets of white metal armor embroidered with golden threads holding long spears standing in firmness and strictness
Alistair turned to his right and to his left astonished from being unable to see the end of the stone fortress surrounding it then Arabella came out of the carriage and approached Alistair and stood next to him
"All eyes are on you everyone wants to see this so-called 'purge herald' but not all eyes carry good intentions if you slack off who knows you might face a problem" said Arabella whispering in a warning tone and Alistair understood this
Then Arabella walked toward the gate and Alistair followed her behind her once she got close enough the two knights moved opening the iron gate producing a soft creaking sound while bowing their heads to Arabella both Arabella and Alistair entered the palace grounds
The walkway extended and zigzagged made of hard stones and cement decorated with other stones like phosphate and metals it was in the middle of a vast green garden whose end could not be seen on the sides of the walkway extended different flowers and roses of yellow color like the sun and with every step forward their colors gradually shifted deeper until they became orange then red on the sides of the garden near the walls of its fortress stood tall pine trees as if they were a second barrier providing a stunning type of protection
"Don't get distracted too much" said Arabella in a playful and teasing tone and Alistair nodded his head
Both continued walking until the castle became visible it was massive despite their distance from it it was built from carefully cut stones in a light gray color tending to silver polished from the outside and appearing completely clean without any traces of mud or natural factors the outer walls were straight and symmetrical with clear thickness right angles and the upper edges simply beveled
The towers were distributed at the corners rising vertically and each tower ended with a conical roof covered with dark slate tiles tightly assembled the towers were identical in shape and height and there were no cracks or tilting the windows were distributed regularly across the castle's floors at equal heights the windows were made of high-quality transparent glass framed with soft stone frames some windows equipped with thin metal mesh for decoration
The main facade of the castle was relatively flat decorated with buttresses extending from the ground to the ceiling dividing the facade into equal sections at the top surrounded by small stone balconies with no visible damage or rust in the small metal parts fixed on them
The main roof was sloped covered with the same dark tiles used in the towers and had organized drainage for rain the chimneys were newly built straight from the same gray stones and contained metal covers
Alistair whistled in amazement and astonishment but was interrupted when Arabella coughed and threw him a sharp look
"Where are your manners?" said Arabella with sharpness and seriousness but there was a slight smile drawn on her face
"I flew far away when I saw you for the first time" said Alistair in a teasing tone which made Arabella blush slightly and turn forward avoiding looking at Alistair and she whispered lightly
"...flirt"
Both reached the gate of the castle its colors were more vibrant from this close distance the wooden gate of the castle was closed without any guards guarding it
"What a warm welcome" said Alistair in a mocking and sarcastic tone
"Watch your mouth or I might be forced to kill you for insulting the royal family" said Arabella in a sharp and serious and intense tone clearly she wasn't joking the only problem was that Alistair didn't care
Alistair stuck out his tongue mockingly and teasingly which made Arabella more annoyed
"Don't you—" said Arabella she extended her hand to grab Alistair but that's when the gate of the castle opened and with it extended a long red carpet that stopped at Alistair's feet both Alistair and Arabella turned toward the castle in surprise
Then rushed from inside the gate knights wearing silver armor holding iron swords they stood on both sides of the royal red carpet standing firmly in a salute position their heads held high and their swords pointed toward the sky holding the handles with both hands
Then both Arabella and Alistair heard footsteps coming toward them and as soon as the identity of the approaching was known Arabella's eyes widened and her heartbeat accelerated in confusion and the noble lady did not waste a single second and knelt on one knee while looking to the ground that's when she noticed that Alistair was still standing did not do the same
"Sir Crowley—" whispered Arabella in tension her whisper was louder than any scream from the intensity of terror and fear that took over her heart when the desired man reached outside
He was wearing a royal robe a cloak made from the white wool of white tigers in the icy climate from the other side of the world its inside pure white clean while its outside red with white and black dots on it as if it was made from playing cards and it wrapped tightly around his waist he was wearing a golden crown adorned with jewels of course his face was blurry like everyone else but that did not deny that he was the King of London
"Hmm?" hummed the king as he raised his eyebrow in astonishment because Alistair was not kneeling
"This heretic!" said one of the guards angrily and with him all the knights pointed their weapons at Alistair ready to pierce his body and impale him before the king raised his hand stopping them from moving and they lowered their weapons
"He is not from here so he does not know our manners of course...Arabella stand up" said the king in a commanding tone and Arabella stood immediately
"Teach this heretic The Law Of Divine Fealty" said the king in a tone that seemed arrogant and haughty
Arabella turned to Alistair in confusion and tension before taking a serious stance and standing firmly
"By the sacred Law of Loyal Submission all subjects must bow the knee before the Crown to refuse is to stand in defiance of God's anointed and to pledge oneself to the Devil's cause such rebellion shall be met with the gravest punishment—death" said Arabella seriously looking into Alistair's black eyes waiting for his apology
Alistair stood in hesitation and disgust in his place but when he saw the worry in Arabella's eyes he decided to stop his arrogance too and bowed to the king
"Forgive me oh esteemed king had I known of such a law from the beginning you would have found me kissing the ground you walk on" said Alistair in a cold tone not meaning the words he said but he tried to seem sorry
"No need for that the last thing I want is the saliva of a commoner on the castle ground you can compensate me by eliminating the witches and your sin shall be forgiven" said the king looking arrogantly he smiled a wide smile in haughtiness
Then the king clapped his hands which made the guards retreat back to their places and Alistair raised his head
"Arabella take the guest inside we will be awaiting his presence" said the king and he proceeded to return to the castle followed by the guards once he disappeared from their sight Arabella sighed in relief
"How dare you stand against the crown? If it weren't for the king's kindness your body would've been pierced by dozens of spears" said Arabella in tension and worry holding her head in annoyance
"Sorry about that" said Alistair apologizing Arabella would've accepted his apology if she didn't realize he didn't mean it
"For real...anyway let's go inside there will be a celebration for the arrival of the 'Purge Herald' many noble eyes will be on you so act carefully" said Arabella in a warning tone then entered through the gate in the direction the king had gone and Alistair followed her
Along the corridor the walls were of faded golden sandstone where each block caught the afternoon sun with a soft earthen glow and the texture was rough but regal while smooth marble columns rose from the ground to the ceiling as supports and paintings on the walls and vases engraved with drawings of the sun spreading and its rays wrapping around the vases the floor was carpeted with soft rugs embroidered with white and black threads as if made from zebra skin
The corridor was long but they reached a massive gate made of oak wood and decorated with intricate engravings of the kingdom's crown and as soon as both of them and Arabella stood the gate opened from the inside
Arabella entered and Alistair followed in silence the hall was spacious its walls clad in polished stone interspersed with thick columns extending to the domed ceiling on which the kingdom's map was drawn with golden threads shining under the light of the high chandeliers
At the end of the hall and on an elevated platform sat the royal family the king in the center wearing a dark royal robe adorned with fur his eyes steady unmoving beside him sat the queen covered in a robe of royal blue silk and her crown reflected the candlelight steadily next to her was the princess in the age of blooming wearing a dress of ivory color her face still observing the entrants without emotion
The carved wooden seats were lined up on the sides of the hall on which sat nobles and knights whispering quietly or observing silently in the middle of the hall stretched a thick crimson carpet from the door to the platform carefully laid
The air was saturated with the scent of burning wax and old leather and under this luxurious stillness pulsed a faint tension everyone awaited the witch slayer 'The Purge Herald'
Arabella and Alistair stood in the middle of the space near the royal family platform then Arabella held Alistair's hand and knelt on one knee forcing Alistair with her toward the king
"By the will of the crown and commissioned by the High Council of Lords, I, Arabella Rose Medici, horse of House Medici, spear of the royal family, am honored to present a man who bore the burden of fire before seeing the light, one called by a title he did not ask for but accepted...in the name of the nation!" said Arabella and her voice echoed in the hall all eyes now on Alistair the queen smiled a faint smile while the princess looked with eyes full of curiosity and naivety as for the king he was cold without expression as usual
"Alistair Crowley The Purge Herald!" said Arabella gesturing with her hand toward Alistair while looking at him firmly
"He stands today before you not as a man of this land...but as the tool of justice you asked for and the sword that shall be unsheathed in Your Majesty's name against the darkness brought by the witches to this kingdom that was once prosperous!" said Arabella then looked toward the ground in reverence without looking at the royal family's reaction
Long seconds passed in which only the sound of crackling hanging candles and the controlled breaths of nobles were heard
"Rise both of you" said the king in a sharp commanding tone and both obeyed him
"Oh Mr. Crowley, your answering the call of our kingdom from afar is an honor our nation shall cherish for years, the presence of a legend like you is glory, but we do not intend to use you as a mere tool, you are a warrior and knight, a man and brave" said the king with a kind smile on his face it would've pleased Alistair if he didn't know this was just for show before the court
"Let all rejoice in your presence!"