@bloonewb"As long as you keep good behavior, there's nothing to worry about. The guards know who I am and that I would likely be returning with an envoy from Xigyll" Mazdak replied. "And if you don't want to wash off the sand, you could at least clean up a bit before meeting the Grand Prince. Even if you just wipe yourself off with a damp washcloth, that would be better than nothing." They proceeded through several neighborhoods, with every transition between districts requiring an inspection at a gate separating one of the other. Mazdak's credentials allowed for quick and easy access, but even he took notice at how the security grew tighter and the guards became more numerous every time they grew closer to the royal palace.
Eventually, they found themselves staring at a huge gate over 30 meters tall, reinforced by two portcullises, which separated the palace drawbridge from the gate. The bridge itself overlooked a deep moat, a concentric body of water surrounding the palace which was shallow enough to ensure that anyone seeking to swim through it would have to dive at least 15 meters down before hitting the water. If they swam across, the would-be invader faced a smooth palace wall on the other side, with no point of entry. Of course, the moat serpents would likely cut any question of invasion by that route quite short; even the feeding shafts through which meat was dropped into the moat were far too narrow for even a kobold to crawl through.
The palace doors were wide open at this time, the guards having been informed of Mazdak's approach.
"Looks like they've got the welcome mat laid out for us. Come on, Rebat. No need for us to delay, though I'm sure the Grand Prince won't be seeing us until tomorrow at the earliest."
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@Eviledd1984"Not a problem, my love" Kara assured him, briefly pausing to give him a little peck on the cheek. "Now, please keep any eye out for any more plants on the list. Some should be easy to find at ground level, and I don't want to have to make two or more trips out here when we could just as easily complete it all in one go." She stopped for a moment. "Besides, I'd rather spend my time 'with' you, not hanging around the woods picking flowers" she gave him a little wink to emphasize what she meant.