Some Enchanted Meeting

The same breeze that blew seemed to blow open the outer gates of Fort Chambrod carried the rippling length of purple floating through them. Aladdin propped himself up a little straighter from his knees on his friend’s back, looking over the sides of Carpet at the deep drop they’d come over with big, boyish eyes. ”Wow, what a view.”

As they passed under the shade of the front step, Al got to his bare feet. His hat nearly toppled off, he began leaning so far back to eye the towers above him. They rose much higher, even, than the Sultan’s highest rooms. While the coloring was a sunny orange and heroic white, the sheer size of the castle was plenty intimidating. Of course he hadn’t seen any Cursed Thorns lying in wait between here and the caravan. Something about this place just screamed ‘if you don’t belong here, stay away.’ 

Carpet had put quite the distance between himself and the rest of the Suns group while they scouted. Aladdin reached forward to open the bulky wooden doors, casting a wry look down at the magic rug. ”Huh! No wonder they call it a fortress. Bet the King and Queen don’t get many visitors out here.” The lad fingered the L-shaped contraption Amelia had called a ‘laser-pistol’ and handed him when she’d sent them out scouting. He slipped it into the sash at his hip. ”Guess I was right. We won’t be needing this.”

After straightening his shoulders and making sure his vest wasn’t crooked, Aladdin pushed his way into the foyer slowly... and still stopped to gawp for a moment. It was exactly what he’d told himself not to do. Crummy street rats gaped at fancy stuff. Respected members of the Enchanted Suns, heirs to the throne of the Seven Deserts, and most importantly, grooms of the lovely desert flower Princess Jasmine didn’t get impressed as easily as this. But wow. Aladdin had never been anywhere quite like this.

The foyer was a different kind of finery. Everything looked very carefully made, not like it was forged in a sandy blacksmith’s. He almost wondered if the stone sculptures and architecture around him had once been living creatures, they looked so real and detailed. It was all really...straight, too. And the colors were muted. The interior just seem3 like a more somber, respectful kind of richness that nobody saw as fashionable back in his desert.

Abu would have his little fingers all over those gold candlesticks if he were here. Those curtains alone could probably fetch a price to feed twenty orphans in Serpent’s Alley. He was so busy staring like that for a moment, and kind of getting ready to mock the ridiculously wide staircase, that he didn’t notice the Queen until Carpet brushed against the back of his knees.

Dark eyes finally dropped to the young woman in the middle of the room and all thoughts of making fun of this place suddenly seemed incorrect.

Wow. She was pretty. Not quite the beautiful Jasmine held in his heart, but something about her definitely reminded the future Sultan of his bride.

Maybe it was the flower petal mouth. Except, on Jasmine that looked more like deep maroon hibiscus, whereas this lady reminded him in every way of the rose bushes from Arendelle. Jasmine’s hair was long, flowing, dark as liquid night. This girl’s mantle curled like new branches and was the same mahogany color. She totally matched her surroundings; it was clear that she belonged in this place. Even the furniture, old and distinguished as it seemed, gave Al the impression that it had grown here after she did, like complimentary branches to a spring bud.

Suddenly feeling the dust from his journey acutely, the former thief lifted one arm to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. ”Uh—“ Not a good start! Come on, where was the confidence? Why did it jump out his ears as soon as he talked to anyone rich? Seriously, after all this time. ”—Hi! I’m Aladdin. Um, I mean, with the Enchanted Suns. Y-you must be...Queen Belle?”

He took a hesitant step forward, bare feet on the deep carpets, and bowed. He used to think bowing was stupid, and then Jasmine told him a secret. It hid your face while you showed respect, so you could either laugh or get ahold of yourself if you needed to, like a little mini break before getting all polite again. The Prince took a deep breath.

Well. It looked as though first contact had already been made.

When she'd sent Mr. Aladdin on ahead to scout out the last leg of the route to the castle, Amelia had somewhat suspected that would end up being the case; and yet, at the same time, he wouldn't necessarily have been her optimal choice for a first impression. His competence wasn't in any question, for in spite of his younger age he was reputedly quite the hero of his homeland; rather, it was his more frivolous manner that gave the experienced captain her doubts about letting him be the initial face of the Enchanted Suns to their new allies. Such a first meeting should be a show of strength, and a half-dressed man joyriding a carpet didn't constitute that, in her opinion.

Still, maybe his relaxed manner would help set the monarch more at ease than Amelia's own formal approach would have; a lot depended on what kind of person this Queen Belle was. Amelia had done her research, of course; but even the Enchanted Suns' official records said more about the place, and its circumstances, than about the specific character of the monarch.

Whatever the case, though, when the caravan had reached the castle without any sign of Aladdin returning to report in, Amelia had decided it was time that she, too, join the greeting delegation. Leaving the unloading in the capable hands of the ranking Arendelle soldier on their unlikely crew, the captain had made her own way up from the front gates.

The architecture, the felinid had to admit, was impressive. Her ramrod-straight posture betrayed no such reaction, as her boot heels clicked on the worn stone walkway leading up to the castle; but the roaming of her green-eyed gaze, and the prick of her ears, gave at least a hint to her fascination. Clearly moulded to be intimidating; though the lightened colour of the stone and the angelic-looking visages adorning it took a little of the edge off that, they couldn't hide completely that this was a place designed foremost as a fortress. While the bridge leading up to the castle proper was wide, it seemed to be the only easy approach, forcing any enemy to assault from a single direction. The castle windows on this front, while tall, were narrow enough not to make easy targets, while a defender could rain fire down on an attacking force from relative safety, and the high towers offered even better opportunities to bombard any invaders from above. For an enemy to take this fortress would be no mean feat.

So far, so good.

The interior, as Amelia passed through the main doors with a dignified step, also failed to disappoint, though in perhaps a different manner. Wide open and spacious; at one imposing, what with its high vaulted ceiling, many intricately-carved supporting pillars, and vast expanse surrounding them, the massive entry hall wouldn't have felt at all out of place had it been found back in her own galaxy, even on the Empire's throneworld. Her Terran Majesty, Queen Illysa II, wouldn't have looked at all out of place in as ornately vast room as this one.

In fact, speaking of queens...

Not one, but two of her troops had already approached the Suns' new ally, and the captain's eyes narrowed shrewdly as she immediately directed her own path towards the small group. At least the two from her group seemed to be making a decent impression so far; but that said, Amelia had already decided that it fell to her to take change of the situation.

"Your Royal Majesty, I presume?"

Deliberately stepping out in front of her troops, such as they were, she nonetheless remained careful not to intrude on the monarch's personal space. A military-style bow of the head, swift but respectful, was offered to the queen - about as much official protocol as Amelia cared for when off-ship - even as her green gaze weighed up the ruler. While certainly not as ornately done up as Queen Illysa, Queen Belle seemed to carry within her a grace that belied that; she seemed every bit the mistress of her castle, and - if Mister Aladdin's gaze was anything to go by - was probably considered quite stunning by human standards.

"Captain Amelia; officer of the Enchanted Suns, and emissary of the Terran Empire to this planet. I don't believe I've been mistaken in learning that you and your kingdom are a recent ally in this impending war?"

Of course, she was all business. Pleasantries could come later, as far as Amelia was concerned.