The 26th Day of the 8th Moon of the Year
The palace is even more gorgeous than I could have imagined. There are twelve gardens; most of them are small but each is devoted to plants from various kingdoms, but the Grand Garden is just breath-taking. There are trees and flowers I have never seen or heard of before; one could get lost in the Grand Garden, there are so many twists and turns, it encompasses more land than I expected possible, and I never wanted to leave. That was, until I heard about the library. The library is even more stunning. I could have placed half of my house back home inside it. It goes up almost four stories. The walls are completely covered with bookshelves as well as several free-standing bookshelves and they are all packed with books about almost any topic one could think of. The lighting is perfect; the chandeliers are made of gold but there are no crystals or glass hanging so that there are not any reflections to distract one while they are reading; there are several candelabras and small lanterns to adjust light as preferred. I cannot wait to explore even more, but I was forced to leave so that I could prepare for the feast the royal family was holding for us.
The feast was probably just as amazing as everything else in the palace. There were five different breeds of bird each cooked in at least two different ways, beef cooked in three different ways, veal, and fish. Oh, the fish. Because Lypo is so far inland it has been forever since I have had fish from more than the local streams and lakes. I have never had almost all of the fish they provided and they were cooked with spices I have never had either. The fish all seemed to flake perfectly and melt in my mouth, and yet were full of flavor. The fruits! They even had fruits that are not found anywhere on this side of the elven lands. The cost that must have gone into acquiring these delicious samples of food is beyond comprehension. With the large amount of tension between us and the elves, the merchants must have been forced to go around the elven boundaries, which would take months to get to the harvesting land let alone bringing the fruits back to Dovan. The wine was just as amazing. It must have been made from grapes from distant lands. I could not stop complementing King Hargon and his chefs. King Hargon was extremely courteous and welcomed us as if we were immediate family. One curious matter did happen, however, Queen Idalga was not present. When I asked a servant, they simply said that she was not feeling well. The servants did not behave as if it were anything serious, but it is still concerning. Queen Idalga is still in her peak years and if she were to pass, there would be no hope of a direct heir. Franklin reassured me that she will recover quickly and there is nothing to worry about. I do not know why, but I trust what he has to say.
Franklin told me that we would start my fighting lessons tomorrow morning. He has arranged to have a training room to ourselves with whatever resources we might need. I almost want to just explore the grounds tomorrow, but I also cannot wait to learn what Franklin has to teach me. I hope my father approves of my request to allow Franklin to stay with me that would make this amazing place even better.
Who would have thought? Me, calling Dovan amazing. I suppose I have been proven wrong.
