When the palace came into view, I was taken aback by its magnificence. It was an enormous structure that stretched the length of a football field. Although I had seen it from a distance, since it was situated on the other side of the city, I had never seen it up close.
As we rode up the massive, tree-lined path leading to the palace, I wondered what the King and the Crown Prince of Eldoren were like and was very apprehensive about meeting them. Would they accept me and support my claim to the throne of Illiador? At this point I desperately needed allies.
The Summer Palace of Eldoren was a fantastic piece of baroque architecture. Perched high on a white cliff overlooking the Bay of Pearls, it looked similar to pictures I had seen of the royal palace of Versailles, but painted in the Eldorean colors of blue and white. The front colonnaded façade was at least fifty feet high and decorated with massive windows that lined the front of the palace. The towering columns interspaced with the windows were trimmed with gold leaf, creating a dazzling sight for those who laid eyes on the palace for the first time.
I was intrigued. I thought all the castles and palaces of Avalonia would be like Silverthorne Castle, all medieval stone and battlements. I was pleased to discover that the Summer Palace looked almost eighteenth century. Even after living here for so many months, this world never ceased to amaze me.
The splendid Summer Palace shimmered in the moonlight as we entered the massive gates into the palace’s outer courtyard. We were led through the great central arch of the north façade and into the inner courtyard, where Aunt Serena was waiting for us.
Erien jumped off his horse, ran to his mother, and hugged her. I followed, sliding off my horse most inelegantly, and hugged my aunt.
“I’ve missed you, little one,” Aunt Serena said. “Welcome to the Summer Palace, my dear.”
I smiled. I was happy to be here. And I would definitely be safer here than at the academy.
Aunt Serena lowered her voice. “Are you all right? After Professor Dekela sent me a message telling me what happened, I immediately came here to speak to the king. He has given his permission for you to stay at the palace under his protection until my father gets back and decides what to do.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Serena. I’m sorry I acted stupidly. I shouldn’t have taken off the amulet. But Damien was going to expose me.”
“What’s done is done,” said my aunt. “We cannot change that. The truth had to come out sometime. We wanted you to be ready and in full control of your powers when that happened.”
I looked down, ashamed that I had let her and Uncle Gabriel down. He was going to be so angry when he heard what I did.
“It’s nice to see you again, Penelope,” said Aunt Serena.
Penelope curtsied. “It’s always a pleasure to be of service to you, my lady.”
“Come,” said Aunt Serena to me. “I will show you to your rooms. You will be staying with us in the west wing of the palace, where the Silverthorne family resides while we are at court.”
“Your room will be next to mine,” said Erien, “overlooking Cherry Blossom Grove.”
I smiled; I loved the names of all the places in Avalonia.
The foyer was an enormous, high-ceilinged room with a white marble floor that gleamed under the light of magnificent crystal chandeliers. Gilded columns stood like sentinels guarding the way as I followed Aunt Serena up a great marble staircase and through an immense hall lined with huge mirrors and glittering arches. Beautifully intricate tapestries decorated the walls on one side, and big French doors led out onto white marble balconies and the gardens beyond.
We walked down exquisitely decorated corridors with portraits of what I assumed were royal ancestors, past ornamental rooms and closed doors, to the west wing of the palace.
My room at the Summer Palace was a luxurious haven that was even bigger and more spacious than my bedroom at Silverthorne Castle. Compared to this place, Silverthorne Castle could be called rustic.
Four carpeted steps led to a massive four-poster bed that was raised on a platform and hung with beautiful, cream-and-gold brocade curtains. The floors were white marble, and dozens of exotic carpets were placed tastefully around the room. Comfortable chairs, a gold brocade sofa, and elegant walnut chests of drawers created a lovely entertainment space. Gilded frames and massive mirrors decorated the walls. A great crystal chandelier hung from the impossibly high ceiling, which was carved with intricate designs. The enormous chandelier was already lit with glowing candles, and it spread a warm glow over the whole room.
I washed up and went across the corridor to Aunt Serena’s parlor. It was a beautiful room with blue-and-gold walls. A huge, blue-and-gold brocade sofa dominated the parlor, and Aunt Serena was lounging on it, reading a book.
When she saw me, she called me over, patting the plump cushion next to her. “Come, my dear.”
Aunt Serena looked at me with a kind smile on her porcelain face. Sometimes I couldn’t help staring at her. She was so beautiful. Perfect skin, beautiful blue eyes, long golden hair—she looked every inch a countess.
“The king is having a ball two nights from today,” said Aunt Serena. “I brought you some clothes so you will have something suitable to wear during the day, and your dress for the harvest ball should be arriving shortly.”
She showed me my new wardrobe, and I was quite speechless at her generosity.
I gave her a big hug. “Thank you so much, Aunt Serena.”
The next day was extremely hectic. I was woken
