"You may enter, Princess," he said in a tone that had suddenly become much more obliging. "They are expecting you."
Luna was completely thrown off by the guards' sudden change of attitude.
But she decided not to overthink it and entered the palace, with Mark and the others following close behind.
"…That was strange," Princess Luna murmured with a furrowed brow.
Mark walked alongside Luna and Emi through the palace's spacious corridors, heading toward the throne room.
The interior of the fortress was just as robust and imposing as its exterior.
Thick stone walls, massive columns, torches instead of elegant chandeliers, and hunting trophies hanging here and there.
Everything in the place screamed strength and dominance, with no interest whatsoever in elegance.
Ely stayed hidden within Mark's shadow, ready to emerge at any moment, while Yuki followed at a careful distance, completely invisible, keeping watch on every corner.
