The Head Maid did not waste any time escorting me into the palace.
With a clap of her hands, servants in silver livery rushed to us and grabbed my luggage the airship crews had left behind.
Together, we marched across the courtyard and into the palace.
We treaded through luxurious halls decorated with gold-trimmed rugs and drapes, paintings and other beautiful pieces that I was certain each of those objects could feed my entire village for a decade and a couple years more.
Other than the palace servants scurrying about for their duties, soldiers in both silver and black armors occasionally passed us during their patrols.
The black-armored soldiers must had been part of the Viulan knight order. While the silver ones were at least the elites of the imperial guard for them to be working inside the palace.
I also managed to spy along the halls some palace clerks in their more-decorated liveries than the servants', some visiting nobles, clerics from the Serpent's Order, and even foreigners from Tchakra and Tsahanam.
The imperial palace was the place where the Eternal Throne stood. It was basically the center of the world.
I supposed it was not surprising to see many high-ranked people loitering about in this grand building.
The Head Maid eventually led me to a wing where the palace staffs resided themselves in.
It was not the place where the chore servants lodged themselves. Rather the higher-ranked staffs such as clerks, butlers, senior maids, and head cooks.
"Healers have their own wing in the palace, but you will be staying here given this place is closer to your station."
The Head Maid said as she showed me to my lodging.
It was the most luxurious bedroom I had ever seen. The kind I thought only belonged to nobles or rich merchants.
The Head Maid helped me settling in after the servants dropped my luggage.
She began instructing me on the layout of the grand building we were in.
"This quarter is designed to have easy access to all parts of the palace. Go through the door at the northern hall, then you'll find yourself in an intersection connecting the main dining hall, the throne room, and the main ballroom. To the east, you'll find the one connecting the guards wing and administrative offices. The west to the guest wing, healer wing, and main garden. The south to the imperial residence and treasury."
The design was quite overwhelming.
I did not know a building could have so many places at once.
"Don't worry of not memorizing all corridors right away. You just need to remember the path to the places you'll frequent to."
The Head Maid continued.
"I believe we'll be frequenting the same place most of the time as well, so you don't have to worry of getting lost. My room is also just down the hall."
For me to go where the Head Maid of the Palace often go and live on the same quarter as her, just what exactly my work in this palace?
"I'll do my best."
I replied her as I was unloading my clothes and placing them into a huge drawer.
The Head Maid was staring intently at me as I was arranging my belongings.
"I've read Lady Reingand's report about you. The one she sent to apply yourself for a healer position in the palace."
Since she was the Head Maid, I assumed she had access to the documents of all palace staffs.
And I did not exactly know Lady Reingand prepared a report about me.
When I first met the woman after I saved her soldiers, she asked me questions about myself and my past.
Once she was done, she told me to get ready to move to the imperial capital.
She said she had a perfect job waiting for me in the palace.
The questioning was probably for her to learn about my healing skills and to write up my administration documents.
How much did Lady Reingand put in?
She asked quite a lot of questions, after all. Even whether I was ever married or not.
"Are you really 36 years old?"
The Head Maid suddenly asked with a frown.
I wondered the sudden curiosity.
"Yes, Miss Talryle. In fact, I'll turn 37 in a couple of months."
"Dear Goddesses… If you're still such a beauty in this age, I wonder how much fairer you were back when you were at your prime."
I could not help but chuckle at the Head Maid's comment.
"You flatter me, ma'am. A countrywoman like me could not possibly compare to the elegant and sophisticated city women such as yourself."
"That's ridiculous! The Tsahanam sultan would immediately take you into his harem the moment he sees you. I've seen him done it with a much uglier woman than you, and she was actually one of the prettiest woman I had ever seen."
I never considered myself beautiful. Though my late mother often said my face was wasted on me.
"Lady Reingand said in your document that you're never married. Is that true? Aren't you at least a widow?"
There was the reason for my mother's suffering.
"I've been dedicating my whole life studying herbs and medicine. I simply did not have the time to care for a man, unless he's riddled with wounds, injuries, or illnesses."
"Dear me… Why does the Goddesses had to waste such a beautiful face on a woman like you?"
I smiled amusedly at the Head Maid's words.
"I'm done storing my belongings. Will I begin working today?"
I told the elderly woman to direct the topic to what mattered.
She nodded back to me.
"Ah, yes! Follow me. The Head Healer wants you to start as soon as you can."
The Head Maid then escorted me out of the staff quarter.
The elderly woman led me through the door at the southern corridor and guided me through a series of luxurious hallways until we were way up the palace.
The decorations in this part of the palace were somehow even more grander and beautiful than the ones I had seen so far.
"Miss Talryle, where are we? I thought you were escorting me to the healer wing in the west part of the palace. But this is the southern section, no?"
"This here is the Imperial Keep. You'll be working here most of the time."
The Imperial Keep?
That was where the imperial family lived!
I thought a new healer like me would be tasked to tend to the guards or at least the servants.
Why would I be assigned in this honored station?
"Through here, Miss Andal."
The Head Maid pointed to an ivory door plated with the symbol of a serpent circling a radiating chair.
No.
A throne. A radiating throne.
We walked through the entrance and entered a grand sitting room filled with the most precious furniture there were in all of Tsatu. All of Dunia.
Someone was already there waiting for us.
A long-bearded man garbed in a robe embroidered with a symbol of a serpent coiling on a burning torch.
He was a healer!
Not just any healer, but one sworn to the Creator by taking the Eternal Surrender!
He was a Healer of the Temple!
"Saint Rachmad. I've brought the new healer staff."
The Head Maid said while curtseying. I copied her gesture.
Saint Rachmad!
No healer or apprentice healer had never heard of the name.
Saint Rachmad was not just a Healer.
He was the Healer!
The best healer throughout Dunia as well as the Head of the Serpent's Order.
I had heard the Saint was also working in the palace.
But as I recalled, the saint was assigned to heal only just one person.
"So you are the brave Tania Andal that Lady Reingand told so much about."
The Saint said while approaching me.
I could not help but curtseyed deeper in his presence.
"Your Holiness, I am nothing but a healer's humble apprentice."
"Be proud, child. From what Lady Reingand said in her letters about your courage, all the heroes in Dunia should look up to you."
"Your Holiness's words greatly honor me."
I replied while maintaining my curtsy.
"Rise, my child. It'll be hard for you to learn your work if you keep bowing like that. His Majesty will be back soon and I need to brief you on the basics before he arrives."
I immediately straightened as the Saint instructed.
I did not quite comprehend his last sentence.
"Pardon me, Your Holiness…His Majesty? As in…the Emperor?"
"Why yes, Miss Andal! You'll be attending the descendant of the Great Pioneer that currently sits on the Eternal Throne!"