NIMBUS AND THE KNIGHTS OF CENFERUM

Chapter 6

The Dictator...

Another week passed, and the daily training sessions between Sir Lonios and his disciple continued. By this point, Nimbus had progressed significantly. Now his master needed at least a dozen strikes before defeating him, which made him very happy. Several times, Lonios praised him for his performance and dedication to training. The boy also noticed that his body was changing; his arms and legs were becoming stronger due to the intense exercise with the heavy swords, which now didn't seem so heavy anymore.

At this moment, they were approaching the city of Solitude. Lonios explained to Nimbus that the city got its name because it was right in the center of the continent. When the conqueror built it, it was a palace in the middle of nowhere, with nothing visible for miles around. Over the years, people began to settle around the palace seeking protection, and a city formed. Today, Solitude is the second-largest city in Cenferum, second only to Aldair.

The two lazily rode into the city. In the distance, Nimbus began to see the immense castle, the famous Palace of Solitude. It was enormous, with a dozen very tall towers ending in cone-shaped roofs that could be seen from a long distance. After a few more minutes riding through the city and receiving indiscreet looks, they reached the castle gates, which opened before they even approached. In the courtyard, stable boys took their horses and led them to the stable, still carrying the backpacks of the two, attached to the saddles. Lonios told Nimbus not to worry, and they headed for the entrance, where they found themselves in the center of a huge peristyle forming the portico before the castle entrance, with all columns formed by caryatids supporting the architraves. Nimbus was amazed; he had never seen such architecture, not even in the drawings in school books. A castle steward introduced himself and checked the document that Lonios took from inside his leather overcoat. Then, they were escorted to a spacious atrium of the palace, where the two waited for the Grand Leader while enjoying fruits brought by eunuchs.

After about an hour, the steward returned and escorted Lonios and Nimbus to a grand gate, which also opened before they approached. When Nimbus entered, he was awestruck. Only in Sir Lonios's stories had he heard of such beauty. The vaulted ceiling was dozens of meters high with paintings of battles, armies against armies, perhaps sieges against this very castle. A red damask carpet, embroidered with what Nimbus believed to be gold threads, covered the floor. This carpet spanned about fifty meters until it ended at the steps of a small staircase, also covered with the same type of tapestry. At the top, two thrones were revealed, one on the left, very large, and the other on the right, a bit smaller. In the larger one sat a man who wore a golden crown studded with diamonds. He had white beard and hair, light blue eyes typical of the region. At his side, at various stages of the staircase, there were about ten people. When they approached, the two stopped.

Nimbus noticed that the steward didn't accompany them but stood there beside them with his head down, looking at the ground. This left Lonios and Nimbus alone to cover the remaining distance. The boy stood a little behind, as his master instructed him to do in the presence of a king, which would also apply to the Grand Leader.

A little before they approached, they noticed they were not the only ones who would speak to the Grand Leader, as there was already a man kneeling in front of the throne.

— Deniers, that's what you are! — the Grand Leader shouted at the man in front of the throne. — How dare you go against science and say that I am wrong?

— I apologize, Grand Leader; that's not what I meant. I was merely bringing to your attention that we have excellent herbalists here in Cenferum, and we can create substitutes for the medicines imported from other countries. We don't need to embark on expeditions to buy them anymore — the man spoke hastily.