of the interior became increasingly disturbing. The mage quickened his pace, listening to the echo of his own footsteps.
He quickly reached the vestibule, but an unpleasant surprise awaited him there as well. The City Guards stood against the walls, standing at attention as if their lives depended on it. A sleepy clerk stood at attention behind his desk, not daring to move. All this because of the four members of the Golden Guard standing in the middle of the open room. The Guards were talking quietly among themselves, and although they seemed to be fully engrossed in conversation, they watched Darius closely as soon as he came into their field of vision.
Bleist almost stumbled when he recognised the insignia on their golden uniforms. All four belonged to the Crown Marshal's personal guard, which meant that Zilven himself was currently in the Grand Master's office. Earl quickly regained his composure and headed towards the clerk, who was in charge of the vestibule.
‘I have been summoned by Grand Master Tilion,’ Darius announced, showing him the sealed letter.
‘Yes, Colonel!’ The clerk looked as if he wanted to shout himself hoarse. ‘I'll report your arrival right away!’ The clerk turned on his heel and marched across the room.
Meanwhile, Bleist glanced at the Guards. They did not seem to be in such a hurry, which was a good sign. They chatted casually, pretending not to be interested in anything around them. While the sight of members of the Golden Guard should not have been unusual in the Luminous Palace, the Marshal's aides and Zilven himself commanded enormous respect mixed with fear. Each of them was an extremely powerful mage, even by the standards of the Guard. Even for Darius, meeting them was a rare occurrence.
Although Bleist also belonged to the Guard and held the rank of colonel, he still could not put himself on an equal footing with Zilven's aides. Theoretically, he was several ranks higher in seniority than all four of them, but he would never even think of giving them orders. It was an unwritten rule regarding
