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‘Just keep going until you see Belgrant Avenue and turn right. Should lead us straight there.’

Hector had only been to Sescoria once before, years ago for a field trip in elementary school, and he didn’t remember much--just some museum, an old knights’ monument, and the palace itself, which was a massive, turreted affair with people always bustling through it. The city center, he discovered, was oddly similar in that regard. Pedestrians and vehicles filled the streets, and buildings were often rounded, if not perfectly cylindrical, with flat rooftops and arching windows.

Blue was a frequent color, he noticed. Sky blue brick here, pale blue wood there, even the sidewalk turned a faint blue as he rolled up toward the Belgrant Gatehouse.

To Hector’s eyes, Belgrant Castle was certainly no less impressive than a palace. Through the gaps between the fence’s thick, white bars, he could see a lush garden sprawling across an entire city block and a fountain splitting the center walkway up to the main entrance. The castle itself was a multi-towered structure, rising up four stories and flying Atreyan flags on both ends. He’d also heard that the rear of the castle extended out onto a small lake, but he couldn’t see it from this angle.

Passersby were starting to give him strange looks, so he removed his helm and held it under his arm. He saw two lines in front of the gatehouse: one for vehicles and one for foot traffic.

He looked at Garovel. ‘What’s the plan?’

‘You wait here, while I scout the situation.’

‘That plan sucks.’

‘No arguing. I’ll tell you if I need you.’

‘How would I get to you in time? Just climb the fence in broad daylight?’

‘Yes.’ Garovel grabbed Hector’s shoulder. ‘I don’t care if you have to break into the castle live on television. You get your ass over there and protect me.’