"Excuse me," You address your escort, he acknowledges you, "But I thought we'd be going faster than this; after all no one likes to keep royalty waiting." He smiles in both understanding and also in a sense of knowing something.
"Your concern for her royal majesty is second to none." He comments. "It is no surprise to me why she has chosen you to be a Knight of the Tiara but surely you must understand that we don't want to tire the horses. Her extremely-highness has shown such consideration to her subjects that she made clear instructions for a no-build zone around her palace lest she accidentally destroy any buildings." You let this sink in; you're beginning to understand that her highness must either be very strong or very big, though at this stage you can't know how big.
The carriage passes through an impressive gateway and out into open country. It travels through fields and forests, up and down hills and across rivers and streams. You're stunned by just how far you have to go to reach the Royal Palace.
As you round a steep hill you suddenly see an amazing sight. There before you is the Royal Palace. It is absolutely grand! From the distance it looks like a city all in itself where the royal family, their servants and the most privalaged peerages could live. It'd probably take all day to get from one side to the other.
As you close in you realise it's even bigger than you first assumed. The windows must be over one-hundred feet tall and the whole structure seems to have been built into the mountain range itself.
"It never seizes to amaze me either." Your escort comments. "And I must've worked at her majesty's palace for at least four years." You know that the awe of the sight can't be hidden from your face so you accept your escort's comment and continue to watch the palace loom higher and higher as the carriage gets nearer and nearer.
Finally you feel the carriage slow as you see some quite impressive gates come into view. They seem to be quite small compared to the wall they're in; thirty foot high gates in a four hundred foot high wall. When the horses drawing your carriage stop a palace guard approaches; he does not have such regalia as your escort but his uniform is still a smart piece of tailory.
"Good evening, sir!" He greets you followed by a nod at your escort. "You are expected." With that he signals the other guards and the gates open.
Upon passing through the gates another awe-inspiring sight comes to you. The palace grounds not only stretch for squares of hectares but some of the plants seem to be significantly bigger than expected, though they are still small compared to the wall.
It's a long ride through the vast palace grounds before the palace itself comes into view. You can hardly comprehend its scale; the steps leading to the entrance are each the height of the wall! The horses do not slow at all.
As you head for the stairs you are surprised to see a set of double doors just under the height of the gate set into the stone of the lowest stair. They open to let the carriage through.
Now you take in the corridor that the carriage is travelling through; it is a most impressive piece illuminated by what seem to be gas lamps and has an architecture more closely associated with the Georgians. The horses begin to slow.
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