The moment the carriage passed through the gates of the Violet Palace, Damian was met with a sight that immediately made his expression sour.
Civilians had packed both sides of the streets as far as his eyes could see, filling every available space with excited faces and raised hands.
The moment they recognized the royal convoy, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers, their voices rolling through the streets like thunder.
Flowers were thrown into the air from every direction, scattering across the road and landing on the red carpet that had been laid from the palace gates all the way toward the city square. The carriage moved at an agonizingly slow pace, forced to maintain the ceremonial speed while soldiers and attendants ensured that the crowd remained behind the barriers.
