The Earl and Duke sat side by side in the back row, while Lloyd rode her tall warhorse next to the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly along the main street of Stone Crown City, and passersby, seeing the Earl's carriage, stopped in their tracks to take off their hats or bow, with no one daring to look directly at the old man in the carriage.
The carriage came to a stop at the edge of a massive square in the city center.
The square was vast, with large gray-white stone slabs covering the ground. The gaps between the slabs were carefully sealed with a dark red caulk, shimmering with a faint metallic sheen in the morning light.
In the center of the square stood a giant statue tens of meters tall. The giant was carved from a single block of pale golden stone, with elongated and solemn proportions. Its facial lines were gentle yet dignified, with two large blue gemstones set in its eye sockets, casting a deep glow in the sunlight.
