Alfred still had things to do. He mounted his extravagantly decorated steed and galloped all the way to the Royal Palace. Carriages scrambled out of his path in a panic. Alfred enjoyed seeing the lower classes in disarray; it reminded him of how noble he was.
"Aphelion, you have arrived." A fair, delicate hand extended from behind a silk curtain. The Golden Rose Knight Commander knelt on one knee, kissing it with reverence and love.
"Yes, Mother. My great and wise Queen."
Only Her Majesty the Queen called him Aphelion. It was different from the "Alfred" spoken by everyone else in Storm City, and it made him feel a special intimacy from his adoptive mother.
At his side, the Iron Crown Knight Commander didn't spare the fop a single glance. He was focused only on reporting the situation to the Queen:
